All four Gospel writers include in their narratives the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, one week before His death. He was hailed a king that day – the Messiah for whom all Israel had waited for centuries seemed to be right here. The crowds were very excited. Expectations and hope, the sense of jubilation, was at fever pitch that day and the momentum was enormous and growing.
Matthew’s gospel account (21:1-11) speaks of a large crowd of people spreading their cloaks on the road, and of the cutting of branches from trees to wave, and the crowd shouting “Hosanna” – an ancient Hebrew word which basically it means “save us, rescue us, or Saviour help us”. In Christianity "Hosanna" was the shout of praise or adoration made in recognition of the Messiahship of Jesus on his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" It is used in the same way in Christian praise and worship today. The Gospel of Mark is almost identical to Matthew (11:7-10), cloaks on road, leafy branches having been cut from the fields, Hosanna being shouted in welcome of Jesus and so on.
In Luke 19:37-40, it’s the disciples of Jesus who start it all; praising Jesus for His mighty works. Luke has the Pharisees on the side lines rebuking Jesus for it all and Jesus replying, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out”, and so on. It is John in his account (12:12-19) who mentions the branches of palm trees. Luke, too, recalls the shouts of “Hosanna” and that a large crowd that had gathered because of Lazarus’s resurrection just days beforehand. No doubt the word had quickly spread about a dead man, in the grave for three days, no less, and now raised to life in front of many witnesses. This was unprecedented in Israel. It really did look and sound like the long-awaited Messiah of Israel had finally arrived ...
Yet within the space of a few days the shouts of hosanna and celebration had turned to cursing – “crucify him!” Same crowd. Same people. Very different response. A mere week before there is an overwhelming sense of welcome, excitement, anticipation, and praise, yet now, there is angry yelling and murderous threats against the same man – Jesus, the Messiah.
What changed in that last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry? What did He say or do, or not do, that triggered such a harsh and brutal reversal?
Many have theorised, of course. But the bottom line, as I see it, is that to many, Jesus was a big disappointment. He seemed to “promise” so much and deliver so little – according to the expectations and assumptions of the people. He was indeed the Messiah who was to come but, over time, the portrayal of this Messiah, the myth He became in the tradition, was so distorted out of all shape because of what people wanted. They had seriously misread, misunderstood, and misinterpreted their very own scriptures as to who the Messiah would be, and what He would do.
Isaiah 42:1 (NIV) "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.”
Of course, God’s idea of justice was in dealing with the sins of humanity in the first instance rather than political justice only for God’s people …
Romans 3:25-26 (NIV)
“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 He did it to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
Justice, God’s way, is not about fairness, but about putting people right with Him – about what is necessary for salvation. And this, through the ministry of the servant Messiah. The crowds of Palm Sunday did not see this or, if by some chance they did, they rejected it preferring a temporal political fix implemented by an all-conquering, hero-Messiah.
Not this time. Not on Palm Sunday. A far more important, eternal agenda was on God’s mind – and for more than just the salvation of Israel. The people didn’t see it or want it. Jesus was not the Messiah they wanted, and so, they turned from praising to cursing Him. From hero to zero in less than a week. In their hurt and anger, they missed the blessing of God’s redemption through Him – “Let His blood be on our heads and on the heads of our children!” Such terrible curse they invoked upon themselves.
In many ways, people want Jesus to be their hero, the one who will magically fix all their problems and stop the hurt – but they never want Him to deal with their sin problem. They want a Jesus of their own making, not the One sent by God. And when Jesus won’t conform to their expectations, or perform for them, they reject Him with cursing – and miss His salvation.
Crowds are fickle. Human beings are fickle. Christians can be fickle, too. We need to stop and reflect on the events of Palm Sunday. We need to recognise the power of our expectations and assumptions to shape the Jesus we want, instead of humbly receiving the one we need. Instead of the One God sent. Our anger and pain can quickly distort our understanding of the real Jesus, the real Messiah. We need to let Him be, for us, the One who was sent by God. We need to trust that Messiah and find life in Him.
John 3:16 (NIV)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 1:11-13 (NIV)
“He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. 12 Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.”
Prepare for Palm Sunday … prepare for Good Friday. Prepare to receive the One whom God sent to us. Let Him be to you the Messiah He really is because that’s the One you need.
Think on these things.
Ps Milton