HOLY WEEK BLOG #1 – Palm Sunday – Matthew 21:1-11

During the upcoming Holy Week I want leave the book of Philippians long enough to share scriptures and thoughts about some of the symbols of the season.  In todays’ post we’ll take a look at the symbols associated with Palm Sunday and how they are related to the whole story around that special day.  Our main scripture will be Matthew 21: 1-11.  Please take a few minutes and read the scripture now.

READ: Matthew 21: 1-11

Id’ like to begin with a little bit of make believe.  Imagine if you will an old western story from your youth.  If you are as old as me you have seen similar things on that old black and white TV with the rabbit ear antenna wrapped with some tin foil to improve the picture.  Try to create the image in your mind of a dusty old western town on a hot, windless afternoon.  Picture a U.S. Marshal riding into town on a tall horse.  People see him coming and recognize him from the badge on his chest and just the way he rides tall in the saddle.  The marshal was armed with 2 Colt 45’s and a carbine rifle slung across his saddle.  He came to rid the town of the Dalton Gang, who had been terrorizing the town folk for a long, long time.  He knew that blood was going to be spilled before he was through.  The Daltons had killed the town’s sheriff who was also the marshal’s brother.  He had some “unfinished business” here.

Now strike a comparison with the familiar story of Jesus.  He rode into a dusty Judean town surrounded by cheering crowds.  The only colt he had was the one he was riding, a small donkey.  His only armament was his love, and maybe a palm branch.  The townsfolk cheered him as the “Savor”, “Messiah”, “King” and “Lord”.   They shouted “Hosanna in the Highest” and “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”  He certainly was coming to save the people of this town and all others as well but those shouting people had a totally different understanding of how he would do this than he knew himself but they would learn of that difference in a very short time.  Jesus rode into town knowing that blood was going to be spilled before he was through and he knew that it was going to be his own, sinless blood.  You see, Jesus also knew that he had some “unfinished business” here.

I know this might have seemed pretty corny (and it very well is) but I share it as a way to get you thinking about this scene.  Jesus did understand what he was showing the crowd and they misunderstood what he was willing to do for them and what, not whom, he was going to save them from.  This “unfinished business” was something Jesus had tried to explain to his disciples on several occasions but they really didn't understand it...even after it happened.  You can read his explanation in the book of Matthew 20:17-19.  He tried to tell them of his coming death in other ways as well.

"Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."                       Matthew 20:28

"For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."                              John 3:17

"He (Jesus) is the atoning sacrifice (propitiation) for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."     1 John 2:2

Jesus knew exactly what was coming as he rode into Jerusalem all those years ago.  He knew that his “unfinished business” was to pay our sin debt.  That was the very thing which blocked our path to heaven.  The following verses help us to understand what that “sin debt” was all about.

"There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."   Romans 3:23

"The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord."                                        Romans 6:23

"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."                              Hebrews 9:26-28

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."                                                                                Romans 5:8

Jesus knew of His sacrifice before the creation of the world.  This was not a major change in God’s plans.  Check it out in 1 Peter 1:18-21

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.  Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

Jews expected, anticipated a military savior, a "hired gun" like the marshal in our story who would come and settle the score...to take care of "unfinished business" BUT, Jesus came to do away with sin, not drive out the Roman soldiers who occupied their land!  Think about that.  It’s really the same today.  Jesus’ reason for coming here was, and is to get rid of sin and draw people to himself.  I find nothing in the New Testament that makes me believe his message was about governments…it was about people lost in sin and desperately in need of a real Savior.   The people on that first Palm Sunday had their own ideas of who Jesus was and how he should "save" his people.  When he didn't meet their expectations they turned on him and killed him.  That makes me wonder how often we try to impose our expectations on God rather than see how He wants to work in us?  Do we ever tell Him how He should be working?  I think many of us are guilty of that, especially in our prayer lives.  Do we ever do things our own way when God doesn’t respond as we think He should?  Here’s another thought.  Do we think God is bound to answer our prayers even if we are living in open defiance and disobedience to His will?  Just who do we think we are?!  I hope that we are not just “fair weather” followers, like so many of those people on that first Palm Sunday.

Let’s take a look at some of the specific symbols we associate with Palm Sunday. 

Why a donkey? 

Well, first of all it was the most common mode of transportation but secondly, and so much more important, it fulfilled prophesy about the coming Messiah.  Read the scripture below from the book of Zechariah.

“Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!  Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!  See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”  Zechariah 9:9

A great military leader would ride on a great horse.  When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey he was not only showing humility but he was declaring himself as a king.  The Old Testament documents other times when men about to be crowned or “anointed” as King rode into the city on a donkey.  This was no coincidence, the people would have recognized that Jesus was revealing that he was finally declaring that he was coming as their King.

Why cloaks and palm branches?

You may remember from studying medieval times where a gentleman would show is chivalry by placing his cape or cloak on the ground for his lady to walk on.  This was a sign of honoring and it was seen as a sign of Jesus’ royalty as well.  This might make you think of how royalty is honored even today.  When we see presidents or kings coming to our country we very often see them walking across the tarmac or the lawn on a red carpet.  This is very like that, it’s a sign of royalty.   2 Kings 9:13 gives us an Old Testament example of this practice. 

“They hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps.  Then they blew the trumpet and shouted “Jehu is king!” ”     

Why is “Hosanna” the word that people kept shouting?

Even the words shouted on Palm Sunday by the excited crowds proclaim their belief that Jesus was coming to rescue them from the Roman oppression.   In the Matthew passage at the beginning of this post, and I hope you read it, we read that the crowd was shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest!”

The word “hosanna” literally means “Save!” or “Salvation!”  It became a common word of praise.

When we think about Palm Sunday we may wonder why God chose this specific time, this place and in this manner for Jesus to show who he really was.  Why not CNN with a satellite uplink, a live feed in real-time or a TV press conference?  God had a plan and it was in place long before Jesus even set foot on the earth.  The Old Testament has many prophesies of the coming Messiah which were fulfilled through Jesus.  God knew that this was the time of the Passover Festival in Jerusalem and the city would have been filled with Jews from all over the Roman Empire.  By revealing himself here and now Jesus could reach the most people in the shortest amount of time.  He taught in earnest all week and those people carried what they had heard and what they had seen back with them throughout the world.  This was Jesus’ “coming out party”.  The time was right for him to finally reveal his true nature to the world.  To make it clear who he really was.  Always before he had said, "Don't tell this to anyone yet for my time has not yet come."  Now, the time was right.

Jesus unusual entry into Jerusalem carried two very different messages with it.

 1- His authority was not in might and human power but as the Son of God.

 2- He revealed to the world that he was the Messiah they had waited for.

How was his message received?  Well, at first there was excitement and praise as he rode into Jerusalem on the day we now call Palm Sunday.  This is what Jesus “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem was all about. It was a demonstration of his tremendous love for each of us.  Luke 19:41 records Jesus’ great love for Jerusalem and its people.  It moved him to tears.  I believe that the same thing happens today as Christ looks at mankind and their lost condition. 

By the end of the week things were very different.  People were actually screaming for his execution with shouts of “Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!”  The crowds were disappointed that he didn’t overthrow the Roman occupational army. They ignored OT prophesy because they wanted a national, military leader.  They had a preconceived idea of what the Messiah should be like, rather than learn what and who he was.  When Jesus didn't live up to their idea of who he was, they turned against him.  The same is true of many people today.   They base their concept of God and Jesus on their own ideas rather than God's word.  Here’s some good advice for all of us.  Spend less time on “I think” and more time on “God says”.

Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem on a war horse, dressed in shining armor.  (That is yet to come: see Rev. 19:11-16)  Instead he rode into Jerusalem on a little donkey, a colt.  And he wasn't accompanied by a legion of battle tested, well trained soldiers.  Instead, his army was made up of a ragtag collection of the poor, the lame and the sick.  There were children, fishermen, tax collectors, slaves, and prostitutes.  And though it was a glorious day, he didn't bask in the glory for long.  He got down off the donkey and went to work.  All week long he taught, corrected, warned, accused but always showed his love.

As you go through this week, recall again what happened to Jesus.  During the first part of the week he was busy teaching (Mt. 22-26; Mk. 11-14; Lk. 19-22; Jn. 12-17), trying to get so many things through to his beloved disciples and others before he would leave them...before his real suffering would begin.  He knew what was coming but he was ready.  Ready to pay that awful price for you and for me.  As we reach this Thursday, the day called Maundy Thursday in many churches, take time to recall how Jesus gathered with his closest friends for their last Passover meal together.  On Friday remember the reality of His suffering at the hands of men and his awful death on the cross.  As you think about the awful price Jesus paid for us that night, the sense loss and maybe even the shame of knowing that it was our own sins that nailed him there remember that he willingly did it for each of.  Yes, it was our penalty he was paying, the weight of our sins that he carried to the cross but it was all part of God’s plan to make a way for us to be able to draw near to Him.  Remember that Sunday's comin'!   Keep reminding yourself that Sunday's comin'...that the story didn’t end at the tomb with Jesus dead and buried.  May God give you a fresh vision of what Jesus Christ did for you during that week and on that Friday night.  But always remember...give thanks.....and rejoice.....because EASTER IS COMING!!!   The day when Jesus took care of his “unfinished business” once and for all.