Palm Sunday
INI
Last year at Lutheran Church of The Way, the two most attended Sundays were:
Easter in first place (no big surprise);
And, as a close second: Palm Sunday.
I was amazed when I saw that.
I thought we probably just got the math wrong at Christmas.
But I shouldn’t have been surprised.
Palm Sunday almost always draws a crowd, and that is nothing new.
It’s a trend that goes all the way back to verse 12:
“The next day the large crowed that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’
It’s not just a big crowd. It’s a diverse crowd. Like this one.
We know from verse 17 that lots of folks are there to spread the word.
They’d just seen their good friend Lazarus raised from the dead.
And they’d really like to see what’s next.
Perhaps they can have a resurrection, too.
Some other folks are excited and curious.
They’ve heard some interesting things from that first group.
They could use a Messiah, a King, and a Savior.
And since they’re in town for the feast, they’re willing to give Jesus a shot.
Some people are upset, and hurting.
The world they know appears to be less and less familiar.
Their comfort zone has been invaded.
And the power and authority to which they are accustomed,
Are slipping through their fingers with ever shout of hosanna.
.
The Messiah they’d been waiting for is a disappointment at best,
And an imposter at worst.
For all this, they will not look at Him as He processes.
Instead, their eyes are cast to the ground, then to everyone else,
Finally to one another.
What do they see?
They see that they “are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
It’s a lazy observation to say that the Pharisees don’t get it.
And it lets the crowds off the hook a bit too easily.
It’s true what the Pharisees say: they have gone after Him.
But that will not last the week.
If this is your first Holy Week, spoiler alert:
Just like Jesus’ own disciples, the crowd will turn.
But for now, they are caught up in the excitement.
They are enthralled by the miracles, and the rumors, and the parade.
This is a celebration and a coronation.
They would put Him on a stallion, like a real king.
If Jesus had allowed it they would have carried Him on their shoulders.
But He will not. Instead,
“Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
‘Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.”
The disciples did not understand these things.
The crowd did not understand these things.
The Pharisees did not understand these things.
You do not understand these things.
Everybody thinks that Jesus is glorified with the palm branches and the shouting.
Everybody thinks that Jesus is glorified with the “Blessed is He(s).”
Everybody thinks that Jesus is glorified just because you call Him King.
We do not understand these things.
One more time, verse 16:
His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.”
Jesus is not glorified with the happy crowds call Him King of the Jews.
He is glorified when Pilate writes it on His death sentence.
Jesus is not glorified by the shouts of a happy crowd’s litany of “Blessed(s).”
He is glorified by the cry of an angry mob: “Crucify Him.”
Jesus is not glorified with the branches of a tree thrown for Him.
He is glorified by the tree He carries for you.
We do not understand these things.
But Jesus does.
So, let’s do something weird.
How about, just this week: we’ll let the Pharisees be right.
Let’s go after Him.
Not just today. It’s easy today.
Let’s go after Him tomorrow, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Let’s go after Him on Maundy Thursday, as we receive His Testament.
Let’s fast with Him and pray with Him.
Let’s go after Him on Good Friday, so Easter doesn’t catch us by surprise.
Let’s go after Him with our new members,
Who after months of study will be installed at the Vigil on Saturday night.
Without all of that, we will not understand these things.
But when Jesus is glorified, then we will remember Palm Sunday in rich detail:
The hosannas, the shouts, the branches, betrayals, the donkey carrying the King.
We, too, will remember that these things had been written about Him and had been done to him.
Stay close this week.
Eat and drink with Him.
Pray with Him.
Go after Him.
Do not turn away from His grief, and from His wounds.
But look on Him and see: you are gaining everything.
