allsaintsjonesboro Sermons

The Humble King: A Sermon for Palm Sunday

A sermon for Palm Sunday, by Father Jerome Leckband.

In his homily for Palm Sunday, Father Leckband explores the striking contrast between the world’s definition of power and the “strange kingship” of Jesus Christ. As we enter Holy Week, we are invited to look past the waving palm branches to see the true nature of the King who comes to save us.

The Contrast of Kingship

The sermon highlights the intentional humility of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. While worldly kings ride on warhorses to demonstrate military might and dominance, Jesus arrives on a humble beast of burden. This is not a king who comes to be served, but one who comes to serve. His authority is not found in earthly political power, but in his perfect obedience to the Father.

The Mind of Christ

Drawing from St. Paul’s exhortation in Philippians 2, Father Leckband reminds us that the “mind of Christ” is defined by self-emptying love.

  • The Descent: Christ, though being in the form of God, did not cling to his divine privileges but “made himself nothing.”
  • The Goal: His journey into Jerusalem is a deliberate step toward the cross. He does not enter the city to take a throne of gold, but to ascend a throne of wood.

Our Participation in His Passion

The Palm Sunday liturgy, with its shift from “Hosanna” to “Crucify Him,” serves as a mirror for the human heart. We are reminded that the same crowd that welcomed him with joy soon turned against him. However, the message of the Gospel is that Christ remains steadfast. He enters Jerusalem knowing full well the cost, enduring the shame and the suffering for our sake.

Looking Toward the Cross

As we follow Jesus into this Holy Week, we are called to lay down our own pride and “palm branches” of self-righteousness. Our hope is not found in our own loyalty, which so often wavers, but in the unwavering faithfulness of the King who rode into the city to die so that we might live.

“He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

You can listen to the full homily below.

frsuelzle Sermons

For Us Men, and For Our Salvation

A homily on the Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lord, by Father Dan Suelzle.

A religious painting depicting the Annunciation, featuring the Angel Gabriel kneeling and speaking to the Virgin Mary, who is seated and holding a small object. A dove representing the Holy Spirit is shown above, and a scroll with text is visible on a nearby lectern.

At Gabriel’s annunciation to Mary we see a profound collision of divine majesty and radical humility that shapes our understanding of humanity. By choosing to enter the world through the Blessed Virgin’s womb, Jesus Christ sanctified every stage of human existence, from conception to adulthood, and thus is like us in every way. This condescension was the fulfillment of God’s divine plan to save mankind. By becoming fully human and remaining fully divine, Christ is the one and only God-man, able to fulfill the Law and suffer in our place, and defeating sin, death, and the devil. Ultimately, the Annunciation reminds us that in his incarnation, Christ makes himself our brother in the flesh so that we might truly become children of the Father. You can listen to the full homily below.

allsaintsjonesboro Sermons

Which of you convicts me of sin?

A sermon for Judica, the First Sunday in Passiontide, by Father Josh Leigeber.

Jesus’ question exposes a truth we would rather avoid: none of us can stand without sin. While we are often tempted either to ignore our sin or compare ourselves favorably to others, sin is never a small matter. It separates us from God and, left unchecked, leads to death.

Yet the answer is not denial or despair, but Christ Himself. Unlike Abraham or any other human being, Jesus alone is without sin. As the eternal Son of God and the promised Seed of Abraham, He is both the Priest and the Sacrifice, providing in Himself the forgiveness and redemption we need. Through His Word and His saving work, He gives the promise that those who keep His Word will never taste death.

Even so, the Christian life remains a struggle. Though forgiven, we still battle sin and cannot justify ourselves. Our life and salvation are found only in abiding in Christ—hearing His Word, repenting, and trusting in His mercy. In Him alone do we stand with a clean conscience and the sure hope of eternal life. You can listen to the full homily below.