One Spectacular Sunday

Scripture to Read

St. Matthew

21:1-11 & 14-17

St. Mark

11:1-11

St. Luke

19:29-44

St. John

12:12-19

Zechariah

9:9 &16-17

Psalm

118:1-9 & 19-24

Isaiah

62:10-12

I am going to interrupt our study of the Book of Acts for the next two weeks. It is time to remember two special events in the life of Jesus. We look, today, at what is called "Palm Sunday." The Church will observe this on Sunday, April 5.

I want to lead your thoughts to what happened nearly two thousand years ago. All four Gospels record much of what happened. Keep in mind that they are reporting what they have seen with four sets of eyes. So accounts may vary a bit as each writer remembers things from his personal perspective.

Jesus was coming to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. It was one of the three special feasts/festivals all Jewish men were to participate in at some time in their lives in Jerusalem. Jesus had come from Jericho, where he had restored sight to two blind men. They and a large crowd of people were following Jesus. Jesus intends to fulfill Scripture. To do so, he sends two of His disciples to get a donkey and her colt. The people were in an excited mood. It is likely the people, even disciples, did not understand what was about to happen.

John's Gospel tells us that later, after Jesus Resurrection, the disciples remembered and understood what really happened. But at this high point, the excited and delighted crowd was in celebration mode. They took their outer cloaks and put them on the donkeys as a sort of saddle. Others laid their cloaks on the roadway as an honor to Jesus. Others cut branches from trees, likely not only palm trees but other trees as well. Some of these they laid on the roadway, some they waved in the air while shouting praises. Palm branches were waved in victory celebrations and parades. The crowd swelled as people who were already in Jerusalem came out to see what was going on. They asked, "Who is this?" The reply was, "This is Jesus, The Prophet from Nazareth." The shouts echoed words of the Prophets Isaiah and Zachariah as well as Psalms: "Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord, Blessed is the King who is coming, Hosanna. Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest."

In the midst of this wild celebration, in anger and frenzy, the priests lamented, "The whole world is following Him." Some of them tried to get Jesus to quiet the crowd. His simple reply was, "If they are quiet, the rocks will cry out in praise." There is a sad note: As Jesus looks over Jerusalem, He weeps and laments, knowing the city will be destroyed because of unbelief of the people and their rejection of Him. When He actually comes into the Temple, He does two things: He heals people. He cleanses the Temple, driving out the sellers of animals to be used for sacrifice and those who exchanged money. His reasoning is: "My Father's House is to be called (and used as) a House of prayer for all peoples and you have made it a den of thieves and robbers." So, we can see the wide array of emotions: People were overjoyed and full of celebration; Jesus is so sad because He knows the city of David will be destroyed and also angry because the Temple dedicated to God was being desecrated instead of being hallowed. The Jewish leaders were beside themselves with the popularity of Jesus and the fact He had showed them in their true light as hypocrites. The world was a mess.

Is it much different today? We are facing a universal epidemic that has disrupted what we call normal life. But I don't think we see the real dangers we face. We, too, have rejected God's Son, The Christ, the only One who can save us from sin's curse, penalty and punishment. Repent and turn to God.