For Palm Sunday in Series C readings there is a Procession passage of John 12:12-19, an Old Testament lesson of Deuteronomy 32:36-39; an Epistle of Philippians 2:5-11 and two Gospel readings; the first of Luke 23:1-56 and the second of John 12:20-43. The passage from Luke would be most appropriate if one were to follow the other thematic name for this Sunday which is “Sunday of the Passion.” The text chosen for the sermon is John 12:37, “But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him.”

This verse could be used as one of the foundational passages for Reformation Christianity. For it clearly reveals that for the unbeliever, no sign, no miracle, no evidence can move him an inch closer to faith in Jesus Christ. It is clear that miracles were not for unbelievers as they were for believers who were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. As Jesus responded to the disciples sent by John to ask whether He was the Messiah: “The blind see, the deaf hear, the mute speak, the lame run….” But for the unbeliever, even the raising of Lazarus from the dead was considered to be a trick of the devil.

From an L&G point of view, it is the theologian of self-glory who interprets God’s attitude toward him by his experience–by the world around him. Things going well? God loves me. Things not going so good? I must have messed up somewhere, quoting a couple of friends from Job as well as the attitude on the part of the Pharisees who jumped to the conclusion that the blind, deaf, mute and lame were just getting what they deserved.

It is a hard saying in this scientific age to hold to but in reality there is no evidence for the object of our Christian faith. For that object is not the historical events recorded by God’s Word but the gracious promises of forgiveness and salvation connected to the passion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ! It is so sad to hear many evangelicals provide a testimony that focuses on what is happening in their lives rather than a Biblical testimony of, “Here is what Jesus did for you!”

The disciples would soon learn after the hallelujahs of Palm Sunday that the cries of “Crucify Him” would be met with no resistance at all from the Father, the Holy Spirit and the Son Himself. Willingly he experienced that which cannot be possibly be considered as proper evidence of God saving us by an accursed, humiliating death on the cross. But the eyes of faith–which is all the evidence necessary for the believer (Hebrews 11)–makes note that the crucifixion took away the curse of the Law hanging over the world and as He promised, three days later is the resurrection.

Pastors best prepare their people for holy week, the holy Supper, holy Good Friday and the holy resurrection by moving from the sandy foundation of so-called evidence to the rock solid foundation of the Word of God alone. That is what is truly meant by “sola Scriptura” (Scripture alone). Anything more is an attempt to reason the unreasonable and to make common sense out of the nonsense from a human point of view of what God indeed did for you.