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.

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee Michigan

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                       “If Its Not About Jesus, Its Not About Anything!”  

Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord

 “Hosanna Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord” Mk: 11:9

St. Mark, in his Gospel account records the moment when Jesus arrived at the Holy City of Jerusalem. That moment of Jesus’ coming to Jerusalem was one of great anticipation, and for the Jewish people it was an Apocalyptic moment.

Blessed His Name

The Jewish people, using words from Psalm:118, which is part of the Hallal section of the Book of Psalms, Hallal meaning “to give praise”, shouted blessings upon Jesus as he arrives.

“Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” Mk:11:9

 The Jews believed that the fulfillment of all the promises of God which he had made to Israel were about to be fulfilled, that the Messianic Kingdom had arrived. The Jews hoped that their Messiah was now, come and that David’s throne would be reestablished over Israel.

“Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest Heaven” (10)

The Jews rejoiced in what they believed was the moment which would change all things for each and all of them lifting their nation to position of power and prominence.

Blessed His Name

As Jesus approached Jerusalem the crowds threw down palm branches and even their own robes before him as he rode upon the donkey. The anticipation of the Jewish people was reaching a climax. Hosanna!

Jesus had come, he was at Jerusalem, but Jesus, and the shouting crowds, had very different purposes. The people sought a king who would bring to pass all that they had believed was promised to them as they understood it; lands, power, riches and more. So they and blessed the name of Jesus, their King had had come!

St. John records in his Gospel.

“The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 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!”

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;

see, your king is coming,

seated on a donkey’s colt.” Jhn: 12:12-15

The Purpose of God

Jesus however, had was come to fulfill God’s purposes not the purposes of the crowd. Jesus had come not to be set upon the throne of Israel, but rather to, be set upon the cross of Calvary only few days later.

Jesus never lost sight of his reason for coming to the Holy City. Jesus came to bring something of far more value than riches, lands, power. Jesus had come to manifest the love, mercy, grace, redemption, atonement and forgiveness of God, not just to Israel, but to all peoples.

Jesus knew that many in the crowd that day shouting blessings to his name, would in just a few days hence cry out and curse his name and call for his  crucifixion, for the higher their personal desires were for welcoming Jesus, so deeper was their anger when Jesus did not fulfill their expectations.

Jesus Looked at The Temple

The Evangelist St. Mark tells us that Jesus’ procession led him to the Temple which was the very heart of the peoples of Israel relationship with God.

“Jesus then entered into Jerusalem and he entered the Temple; and when he looked around at everything and then he left” Mk: 11:11

The Jews had hoped that Jesus’ entrance into the sacred place would be the moment when he would take the throne and be declared King, yet to their profound disappointment Jesus does not do this.

St. Mark simply records that Jesus left. Jesus then enters the very house of God and sees it’s condition, nothing is hidden from his sight he perceives it’s true state in spite of the outward appearance. 

The salvation work of God would not be accomplished within the Temple courts at Jerusalem at the Alter through a glorious sacrament conducted by a robed Priest, and a King wearing a crown of gold, but rather, on the rocky summit of Calvary on a bloody cross and a thorny crown affixed upon the brow of the striped body of Jesus outside the Holy City.

“The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.”  Heb: 11:11-13

Do We Continue to Bless Him?

Are we, each and all, like the people of Israel who long ago cried out “Hosanna Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord” when Jesus arrives in our lives, when he comes to us through the Gospel message and we come to receive him? Do we take up the palm branch and joyfully wave it giving Jesus praise believing that now our purposes in life are about to be fulfilled and we bless Jesus?

Blessings Turned to Cursing

It is so often that when Jesus enters the Temple of our lives, which is the very heart of our relationship with God, that he does not fulfill our anticipations or exceptions, but rather,  Jesus comes to us for the fulfillment of the purpose of God in our lives just as he did long ago.

We may receive Jesus, so filled with glorious anticipation and hopes, and our own desires superimposed upon him, and we give praise to him and we worship him looking for him to accomplish our goals and purposes in life, yet when he does not, how do we respond? 

Are we as the Jews, who blessed Jesus as he came in the name of the Lord and then days later cursed him demanding his crucifixion? Do our Blessings turn to cursing?

Or do we see that in truth Jesus came to do far more than make us comfortable in this life, Jesus came to fulfill God’s purpose in our lives?

The crowds that day only saw only a Kingdom which would restore the throne of David in an Earthly way and fulfill their hopes.

“Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest Heaven” Mk: 11:10

A Kingdom

Jesus did not, at that time, come to set up the Kingdom in a way which the Jewish people had hoped. Jesus did not then, and he is not now establishing that Kingdom in the way which we might have hoped for.

His Kingdom

Jesus had come to bring something even more profound he had come to bring the people more than an Earthly Kingdom which was made up of wealth and power, lands or titles, but he had come to manifest a Heavenly Kingdom even in this midst of the challenges of this life, a Kingdom which will one day break forth and be seen over all the Earth.

St. Paul writes in his Epistle to the Christians at the city of Colossi of the present reality of God’s glorious Kingdom which resides even now, not just someday, in the hearts and minds of any who will but freely receive it through Jesus.

Speaking of the work of the cross which Jesus had come not just face, but to embrace, and manifest the salvation work of God.

…”giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” Col:1:13-15

This a Kingdom which now resides within the heart of all who will but freely receive it and will one day the coming of Jesus be manifested over all the Earth.

Holding the Palm Branches

The palm branches which the crowds took hold of that day as Jesus rode into the Holy City had long been associated with the Kingdom of the Messiah; for the palm branches were used to build the booths for the Old Covenant observance of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Speaking of the Messiah’s glorious Kingdom, the Prophet Zechariah wrote of it in the 14th chapter of the book which bears his name. This Kingdom is depicted as glorious and powerful, rich beyond imagination, a resorted Israel. This is what they hoped Jesus was bringing them that day long ago and blessed him for as they waved the palm branches and blessed him.

But through the cross, death and resurrection Jesus has done far more. Jesus has fulfilled God’s divine purpose for all of us and bring us into God's Kingdom. Through St. John’s eyes we are given a glimpse of the reality of this glorious Kingdom of God which Jesus has made available for each and all, for any who will but freely receive, none need to be excluded except by their own choice to refuse salvation freely offered to us.

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands”. Rev: 7:9

This Kingdom is for us, this is God’s purpose for each and all who will but freely receive it. Jesus has come in the name of the Lord to fulfill the divine purpose of God for each and all, for this, we should all give him praise and loudly declare in shouts of joy.

“Hosanna Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord” Mk: 11:9

Benediction: May we each and all ever give praise to Jesus who has come to fulfill the purpose of God and open his Heavenly Kingdom to us, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee Michigan

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                       “If Its Not About Jesus, Its Not About Anything!”  

 

Palm Sunday: When Jesus Rides In

 "Tell you the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King comes to you, meek, 

and sitting on an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass."  Zech: 9:9

As Jesus Christ rode into the Holy city of Jerusalem, which Christians commemorate on Palm Sunday and begins the Holy Week observances. 

Many , who lined the road that day when Jesus came into the Holy city shouting hosanna! believed that Jesus' entrance into the city would bring about all the things that Israel had hoped for all those many year. There was an air of expectancy in the crowd. It was for them an apocalyptic moment.

Each of the Gospels give an account of this event. It seemed to many, the fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah was unfolding before their eyes. The Messiah was come and with him the Messianic Kingdom which they saw as the restoration of Israel.

"And when they drew near to Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, to the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying to them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway you shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them to me.And if any man say ought to you, you shall say, The Lord has need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, "Tell you the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King comes to you, meek, and sitting on an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass."

And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way." Matt: 21:1-8

The palm branches which they waved and cast before the joyful procession shows that they believed that the Messianic kingdom had arrived. The palm branch was used  to build the "booths" or "Tabernacle" for the Feast of Tabernacles which was part of the Old Covenant Holy Days, (see Leviticus:23) This particular Feast was associates with the Kingdom of the Messiah due to its mention in the prophecy found in Zech:14:16-19 which also speaks of the Messiah's victory over the nations in rebellion against the God of Israel. The people believed that victory was now at hand.

Hosanna!

As Jesus came into the Holy city all of Jerusalem was stirred by his entrance. There were shouts of rejoicing, the people cried out Hosanna!, which means literally "save now" or "Salvation Now! 

This cry reveals more than we might first believe, it not only reflected their hopes that the appointed time of the restoration of Israel had arrived, but it also was a veiled demand on their part to guide the course of events and to benefit as much they could from Jesus. It also exposed an impatience to wait for Jesus to act as he would in his time and his way.

 "And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee". Matt:9-11

The Temple

Jesus' first action was to go to the Temple, the very center of Israel's relationship with their God. This relationship had been turned into a business and become more of a transaction rather than a relationship in the hands of some of the religious establishment. Many of the activities that were taking place were not appropriate for the Temple of God.

Jesus, upon entering the Temple and seeing the merchandising be conducted there by some of the money changers under the permission of the religious establishment, was then moved zealously and drove them out, and all of those who made merchandise of religion and exploited the people.

Jesus' actions were to demonstrate the reverence the people of Israel should have in the worship of the Holy God and that the administration of that worship should be done reverently and for the good of people who were under the religious establishment's care and should be more spiritual rather than materially oriented.

"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said to them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves" (12-13)

Many of the Jewish people sought for the Kingdom to be set up then and there, but as the Biblical accounts shows us the religious leaders conspired with and through Judas' discontent and greed, resulting in the arrest of our Lord and his death on the cross.

Not What They Wanted

 Many in the crowd did not get from Jesus what they had wanted. These persons missed the point of Jesus' coming into Jerusalem. Jesus, instead of establishing the "kingdom" as the crowds envisioned it to be established, Jesus went to the Temple of God and removed those things that did not belong; it seems that Jesus was more interested in their relationship with God rather than political objectives of some of the people.

Jesus did not, at that moment, come to give them the kind of victorious Kingdom which they wanted, but rather, one just as real and ultimately greater than they could conceive. Jesus , however,  acted out more than they understood through the whole procession into the city and his actions at the Temple.

When He Rides In

The same thing can occur with us today. When Jesus rides into the Jerusalem of our lives, we can rejoice and give glad shouts of Hosanna and anticipate that all those things which we hoped for will be ours.

We may hope for victory over life's challenges and personal difficulties, we may want his Kingdom in all its fullness immediately along with all those things Scripture holds forth to each and all of us. Yet, we each and all can be like the crowds on that Sunday so long ago in our impatience, we shout Hosanna! "save now" we want to impose our wills upon Jesus, to have him be a King who works according to our personal agendas.

At times we cry out "save now!”, and when our Lord chooses another purpose in our lives, we can become disappointed just as some of those who shouted the cry of "Hosanna!" at Jesus' entry in to Jerusalem. 

Many of those persons within the week were lifting their voices as part of an angry mob which cried out calling for Jesus' crucifixion. Instead of giving us wealth and power Jesus instead moves to the temple courts of our lives, that is the very heart of our relationship with God to deal with the very heart of our relationship with God.

Jesus rides in to our lives and out drives out the merchandisers of our inner most being, that is our selfish motivations and desires. There is no place for them in the  temple court of our relationship with the Great God. We are to a "house of prayer", persons who are in communion with the great God.

Victory

The glorious entry, when Jesus rode humbly into the city of Jerusalem, even as the crowd shouted and waved the palm branches, on that donkey with the colt which walked aside him only peered ahead to that great day of victory which our Lord will share with us all.

In Revelation we see those who have freely received Jesus as their Lord each taking hold his Kingdom symbolized by the palm beaches that they held.

That colt of the donkey that walked along in the procession reflects how our victory is born out of Jesus victory, that colt is each and all of ours’ to ride. That colt was born out of the donkey which Jesus sat upon and speaks to us of our victory which comes from Jesus'. Kings in the ancient times sat upon donkeys, and the colt represents our shared royalty and reign with and through our Lord Jesus.

 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands" Rev:7:9

At the parting of the Heavens there is a great shout, we see Jesus riding that glorious white horse which symbolized victory in the ancient world. Jesus is followed by all who have come to believe in him riding upon white horses as well , which was pictured by the colt that trotted along with him as Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday so long ago.

 "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a clothing dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treads the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he has on his clothing and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" Rev:19:11-16

Each and all of us are caught up and in Jesus' wake of victory as he brings at long last his Messianic Kingdom over all things. In Jesus we can have a transformed life in hope as we await that glorious day which Palm Sunday looked ahead to. This is what we await when Jesus rides into the Jerusalem our lives.

Benediction: May we each and all ever look to our Lord Jesus who brings us an all-new life in his Kingdom, today, tomorrow and forevermore Amen!

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee Michigan

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                       “If Its Not About Jesus, Its Not About Anything!”