As some of you know, my church background is Southern Baptist, and when I was in seminary I was affiliated with the Baptist Church. It might to surprise you to know that at that time at Princeton Seminary, that bulwark of Presbyterianism, about 10% of the student body was Southern Baptist. My Southern Baptist friends and I, however, were often kidded about our distinctive Baptist traditions. As you know, Baptists believe in believer baptism that involves full immersion. In other word, Baptist dunk new believers. And Baptists are also known for their stand against the evils of drinking and the evils of dancing. For that reason, Southern Baptists on campus were dubbed, "Dunkin’ Do-Nots."

The passage just read from 2 Samuel is one that was often quoted by "Dunkin’ Do-Nots" in support of dancing. After all, they argued, since King David danced with such great enthusiasm, why can’t we? The hard-liners response, however, was that David danced for the Lord.

Well, what is all this dancing about that David does in this passage? David has just captured the strategic Jebusite city of Jerusalem, a city considered virtually untakeable by all in the ancient world. Nevertheless, he captured the city. To celebrate this remarkable military victory, David brought out the Ark of Covenant, a holy box of acacia wood over-laid with gold, that represented in space their God who dwelled in eternity. David put the Ark on a newly-built cart and made a regular parade of it. There were horns, harps, cymbals, food, singing, dancing, and praising of God.

After this spectacle the Ark finds a new home in Jerusalem. From that time forward, the once-pagan city of Jerusalem occupies a place of prominence and centrality in the life of Israel. In Jerusalem the king lives, a Temple is built, a dynasty is established. It is to Jerusalem that people travel and in Jerusalem people hope to encounter the presence of the living God.

About a thousand years after David’s parade another parade into the city of Jerusalem took place. This parade was also accompanied by dancing and singing and rejoicing. This parade is described for us in our New Testament lesson, Luke, Chapter 19.

As Luke tells the story, Jesus approaches the city with his disciples and other Galileans in tow. Jesus sends two of his disciples ahead to secure "a colt that has never been ridden" (Luke 19:30). When the two arrive with the animal, Jesus is placed on the donkey and escorted into the city. The crowds welcome Jesus by laying their cloaks in this path. One and all – disciples, children, onlookers – cry out, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" (Luke 19:38).

On the surface Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem looks a lot like David’s entry into the holy city some one thousand years earlier. But the parallel between these two stories is not between David and Jesus. After all, Jesus is not the leader of the parade. Rather Jesus is carried into the city amid great shouts of joy much like the Ark had been carried to its final resting place. The parallel, then, is between Jesus and the Ark of the Covenant. But whereas the Ark in David’s day was believed to be the very "footstool of God," Jesus was the very "Son of God." Whereas in David’s day the entry of the Ark into Jerusalem symbolized the presence of God among his people, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was the presence of God among his people.

It is striking to notice the difference in response thee two entrances have. David’s Ark was well-received by all. The Son of David, however, was rejected by the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Some Pharisees accused the Prince of Peace and his followers of disturbing the peace. David’s parade went on for days and days, but Jesus’ parade ended abruptly on the road to Golgotha. David rejoices over his conquest of Jerusalem. Jesus, on the other hand, weeps over the impending conquest of Jerusalem by foreigners. David’s parade initiated the "Golden Years" of Israelite history. Jesus’ parade initiated what would prove to be one of the darkest of moments in the history of the people of God.

There is another parallel between these two parades that is worth considering. Michel, the wife of David, is uncomfortable at seeing the pomp and circumstance her husband is involved in. She believes that he has made a fool of himself by stripping down and dancing before the entire city, for all - young and old, men and women – to see. She chides David for his lack of proper decorum.

There is something in the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem that also makes the readers of this story uncomfortable. Perhaps it’s because we know what lies ahead for Jesus. We know that Jesus will cleanse the Temple in Jerusalem and thereby anger the religious authorities. We know that the authorities will put a price on Jesus head. We know that one of Jesus’ own will betray him, all of his disciples will desert him, and one of his disciples will deny ever knowing him. We know that Jesus will be arrested, tried, and convicted without just cause, and we know that Jesus will suffer an agonizing and humiliating death on a cross.

Knowing that all this waits for Jesus inside the city of Jerusalem makes it difficult for us to rejoice at the so-called "Triumphal Entry." This parade, like David’s parade, is filled with pomp, but the circumstances that follow take away our desire to join in the parade. Knowing how the adoring crowds will turn against Jesus in the next few days makes this celebration seem less-than-genuine.

But what a difference a week makes! One week after Palm Sunday comes the miracle of Easter, when we learn that death does not have the last word. No, on Easter we realize that Jesus’ opponents do not succeed in getting the upper hand. No, on Easter we recognize that the forces of evil have been dealt a critical blow. But without Palm Sunday and the events leading to the death of Jesus, Easter loses its significance. The cross without the empty tomb leads to despair. But the empty tomb without the cross is meaningless.

On Palm Sunday Jesus’ followers danced and sang and laughed as they entered Jerusalem. But as Jesus faced the events of holy week that dance became for Jesus a dance of death. But the good news is that dance of death was miraculously transformed into the dance of life. As our final hymn for this morning tells us, the dance of life "still goes on."

Earlier this week the Session danced in a figurative sense. On Tuesday we met with the 7 members of the Confirmation/Commissioning class, their teachers, family members and covenant partners to hear their statements of faith and their desire to be active members of Pine Street. This was a cause for celebration! In a few moment we will introduce these impressive newest members to the congregation. And is so doing we know that the parade and dancing will go on at least for one more generation.