Communion With the Christ:: Palm Sunday: The Cross Among the Palms

"They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! ”“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord “ “Blessed is the king of Israel!”Jhn:12:13

Palm Sunday which will conclude the Lenten Season and leads us into Holy Week and recounts the events leading up to Jesus' arrest, trial, crucifixion death and resurrection.

The Palms and Passion

In many Christian Churches Palm Sunday is a two-part observance, many Churches, especially the more liturgical fellowships, divide the service into two parts; the first part will be called "the Liturgy of the Palms" and the second part being "the Liturgy of the Passion”, for this reason some Churches might call this observance "Palm-Passion Sunday”.

Palm Sunday is sometimes referred to as the "Triumphal Entry”, but in many respects this is not really accurate, for some of the very same people who waved the palm branches and shouted "Hosanna!" on that Sunday at Jesus' entry, are the very same ones who by Friday were calling out "crucify him!" as Jesus stood before the Roman Governor and the assembled religious leaders.

Your King Comes

For some in the crowd that day, as Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem, it may have seemed as if all the hopes of Israel were about to be fulfilled. They all had their hopes and expectations.

To the assembled Jerusalem crowed which stood along the road that Sunday and even to Jesus' own disciples, Jesus' entry into the city was filled with an air of rejoicing and the prospect of hopes of the Messianic Kingdom, was about to be established. They saw Jesus fulfilling the prophecy of Prophet Zechariah, before their own eyes it was to them and Apocalyptic moment.

"Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" Zech:9:9

To some in the crowd Jesus represented better days to come, they saw this as their moment and hoped to share in all that their King would produce for them. They had lived under oppression far too long; the glorious days of the house of David and Salomon had faded and they had hoped that Jesus would restore the former glories.

It was their hope that all the things which they desired would now be realized, they saw this as their time of restoration; of recompense, the people wanted change and they wanted it now.

The people had heard the Prophetic writings which were read to them in the Synagogues and in Temple worship. They knew that the Messiah's Kingdom meant reward for the people of Israel.

"The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: "Say to Daughter Zion, 'See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.'" Isa: 62:11

The hope that the Messianic Kingdom had arrived is seen in the waving of the palm branches. The Palm branches were used to build the Tabernacles, or booths in which the people of Israel stayed during the eight-day Feat of Tabernacles.

This Old Covenant Holy day observance had become identified with the Messianic kingdom through it being mentioned by the Prophet Zechariah as being observed at Jerusalem during the Messiahs reign.

" Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles." Zech:16-19

Save Now!

Even the joyful shouts of "Hosanna" speaks of this desire to have what they wanted. "Hosanna" literally means "save now!" It was not just a shout of acclimation, but a demand. The people in the crowd were telling Jesus what they wanted from him and when they wanted it. The people of Israel wanted to benefit from Jesus’ ascension to power. They saw his power and wanted it to be used for their gain.

The Cross

But fortunately for all of us Jesus did not come on that day to ascend the Throne of David and become the King of Israel, which the people who shouted in the streets that day wanted.

Jesus came not to bring a political solution and military might. Jesus came to Jerusalem to ascend the Cross not the Throne. Jesus came not to wear a crown of gold, but a bloody crown of thorns. Jesus was there to suffer the Passion of the Cross.

The Cross was ever present in Jesus' mind, even there among the palm branches which were held in the hands of the Jewish people and being waved in streets that day among the shouts of "Hosanna”. The Cross was there looming before him among the waving Palm Branches and Jesus knew it.

Jesus came into Jerusalem to deal with the estrangement between God and humanity which was brought on by humanities individual and collective sin and humanities collective misunderstanding of God. The Cross was there among the palms.

I Must Go

Jesus knew why he was come to Jerusalem. Jesus had no delusions, he was not beguiled by the celebratory procession and the acclimation and rejoicing. Jesus had come knowing his fate and that the Cross lay ahead in a matter of a few days, but rather than shunning the Cross Jesus was determined to face it and finish the work that his Father had given him.

Jesus was resolute to go to the Holy City. Jesus was fixed upon accomplishing for us what none of us could accomplish for ourselves. So great his love for the Father and for each and all of us is, and for Jesus the time was drawing near. Jesus knew what lay beyond the passion of the Cross and his work of manifesting to us all what God has decreed for us and so freely offers. Jesus knew that his time of glory was come as well.

"As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem."Lk:9:51

Jesus said "I must go”, for only in Jerusalem would he die. Jesus knew the necessity of his going to Jerusalem, he was determined to face the passion of the Cross and atone for the sins of humanity.

"Nevertheless I must go on my way to-day and to-morrow and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem." Lk: 13:33

For weeks Jesus had begun to prepare his disciples for what was to come.

"From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." Matt: 16:21

Laid it Down to take it Up

So great was, and is, the love of Jesus for each and all of us that he willingly laid his life down so that none be left out from entering into eternal life. It was by his will and choice that Jesus would die, he would face the passion of the Cross.

Jesus was not compelled by law or any power, or any force which could induce the very Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity to condescend to our humanity that we might have life.

Jesus laid his life down willingly in the death of the Cross, only to take it up again in the glory of the resurrection. All of this was the will of God the Father.

"The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."Jhn:10:17-18

The Cross Among the Palms

The passion of the Cross was there super-imposed upon the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Jesus was come for that purpose to face the passion of the Cross and to finish the work of salvation for each and all us that glory be given to Father and life to each and all of us. Jesus never lost sight of the Cross among the waving Palms.

Benediction: May we each and all during this Lenten season look ever to Jesus, who went to the Cross for each and all of us, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.