Palm Sunday is a moment recorded for us to peek in on what was probably at the time one of the most thrilling days of all history.
A day that if you were alive and had witnessed the events in person, would have been one of those, “I remember exactly what I was wearing and who I was with” kind of days! The day is referred to as “The Triumphal Entry” or “Palm Sunday”, and it surely felt triumphant!
It was a great day for HOPE . . .the ultimate day! The kind of day that makes you think, “Maybe it’s all going to be ok now.”
If ever there was a “things are all going to be ok” kind of day in the Bible, surely this was it! You’re in Jerusalem…maybe you’ve been to visit Jesus…seen a healing…heard of hundreds more. All your life you’ve lived under the rule of the Romans and the weight of the history of oppression is a defining part of your life, your family, your past, and the foreseeable future. And now, you’re seeing Jesus come through Jerusalem! Wow!
His name is murmured in the crowd…and called out…and shouted…JESUS!! Jesus!! Hosanna! Hosanna! Salvation has come!! If people “high-fived” back then, I think there would have been high fives all around! This was quite an event!
Zechariah had prophesied this day 800 years earlier,
“Hosanna!” “Salvation has come!!”
Everyone’s excited! Who wouldn’t be? Miracles! Powerful, authoritative teaching! A huge following! Crowd frenzy! All this culminating as they surely knew He must be a prophet!
And while salvation did come for those people gathered, shouting, and hopeful – only a few days later another crowd will shout – not joyful praise but angry demands – The echo of Hosanna drowned out and overcome by “Crucify!”
Led by their emotions rather than the truth – they knew the prophecies, they had seen his miracles, they had a true reason to believe – rather than trusting they shifted and went with the momentary solidarity with the louder voices, the stronger presence, what appeared to be the mightier leaders – and aren’t we tempted to be the same?
Palm Sunday is a reminder to us all of the fickle nature of our hearts. That we are not only prone to wander but we are even eager to run. Instead of holding fast because of what we know to be true, we think with our feelings.
We love the feeling of triumph, of everything feeling like it’s ok…but every day isn’t a Palm Sunday celebration kind of day – so we must look ahead to the true victory – resurrection and see Him through the weekdays.
Salvation has come. Jesus did and will continue to ride victoriously – our call is to remain faithful after the Palm Sundays – to not drift away on the Mondays, or lose heart on the Wednesdays, or deny Him on Friday. We do not see everything in order around us – but we must still see Him – because as hope-filled it was, Palm Sunday’s celebration is a parade anticipating the better hope of the resurrection!
So, today we celebrate like we do every Sunday that we serve a risen Savior – a fact that cannot be changed by our feelings, but it is often blurred by them. We must see Jesus. He was celebrated and suffered and ultimately he experienced death for all of us – thank God the party didn’t end on Palm Sunday, it was just getting started!
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