Palm Sunday

 ²⁹ When he drew near to Beth'phage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰ saying, "Go into the village opposite, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat; untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If any one asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this, 'The Lord has need of it.'" ³² So those who were sent went away and found it as he had told them. ³³ And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?" ³⁴ And they said, "The Lord has need of it." ³⁵ And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their garments on the colt they set Jesus upon it. ³⁶ And as he rode along, they spread their garments on the road. ³⁷ As he was now drawing near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, ³⁸ saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" ³⁹ And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." ⁴⁰ He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." ⁴¹ And when he drew near and saw the city he wept over it, ⁴² saying, "Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace! But now they are hid from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days shall come upon you, when your enemies will cast up a bank about you and surround you, and hem you in on every side, ⁴⁴ and dash you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because you did not know the time of your visitation." ⁴⁵ And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, ⁴⁶ saying to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer'; but you have made it a den of robbers."   Luke 19: 29-46




When Jesus dispatched his two disciples to go ahead of him and to retrieve the colt, he knew exactly what he was doing.  This day as he entered Jerusalem was the fulfillment of prophecy.  The people knew exactly what he was doing.  The term for the colt was "kyrios"...the same term used for Caesar in the ancient world. This is his proclamation that Jesus is the Messiah.  It was a political statement as well.  The Pharisees seeing the crowd's reactions were fearful of the Romans interceding in "their" city.  The waving of the palm branches was a symbol of rebellion.  The palm leaf had been the symbol of the Maccabees who revolted against the tyranny of the Hellenistic rulers who had preceded the Romans.  This was a national call to arms and was a call for the liberation of Jerusalem from the pagan Romans.  And, the response of Jesus to the Pharisees is telling.  If these people did not proclaim him as Messiah the very stones would cry out to proclaim the message that God had entered His Holy City on that day on the back of a colt.


As Jesus ascends the path upward from the valley between the Mount of Olives and the Temple mount we know what the people were singing.  It was the victory cry of Psalms 118:1-4:


¹ O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever! ² Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures for ever." ³ Let the house of Aaron say, "His steadfast love endures for ever." ⁴ Let those who fear the LORD say, "His steadfast love endures for ever."


Yet, the reaction of Jesus as he first glimpses the sight of the city in the midst of all the rock star celebration around him is to "weep".  His tears were not for himself.  Yes, he knew he was going to die outside of that City a week later.  Those same voices proclaiming him as Messiah would turn into cries of "Crucify Him...Crucify Him".  That is the way of the Mob.  They can sing one's praises one day; and, call for one's death on a cross later.  Jesus was crying for Jerusalem because he knew of the desolation of abomination that would befall the city in 70 A.D. when it would be completely destroyed by the Romans.  Today the "wailing wall" in Jerusalem is the only remnant left of the temple Mount to this very day.  Jesus proclaimed that the temple would be rebuilt in three days.  His resurrection on the third day is a fulfillment of that prophecy.  His body...the church is His holy temple for now.  But, I don't think that the Lord is done just yet with his plans for Jerusalem.  The story continues.  Today let us celebrate the triumphal entry over 2000 years ago.  But, what we really are celebrating is the Triumphal return of the Messiah when He comes again!   For that, we watch and we wait.  Maranatha.