Palm Sunday

A reflection on Palm Sunday I wrote for Church last night:

So we find this story in Luke chapter 29… After a time of teaching Jesus headed straight for Jerusalem. But before he gets there he tells his disciples to go and get him a donkey. They go and get the doney. And bring it to him and then Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem with the pomp and circumstance that is fit for a king.
In fact people begin to lay down there coats for Jesus and actually the colt Jesus is riding on walks on these, then this crowd they grab palm branches and wave them and celebrate. This is a big deal. This is an entrance fit for a king. And then they shout Hosanna which means save us, they shout Blessed are you Jesus ,you come in the name of the Lord.

Put that image in your head for a minute

But then think for a minute of this contrasting picture, that same crowd that yells Hosanna (translated: save us) a week later demands and yells for him to be crucified and even releases and frees a brutal killer into their community rather then freeing Jesus. This king is humiliated. He’s broken and bruised a completely opposite picture from a week ago.

So here’s a question for you. How does a crowd go from calling a man King to wanting him dead in a week? How does it go from treating a man like a king to treating him like a criminal. And not only a criminal but they kill him by crucifying him. A death reserved for the worst criminals and political rebels of that day.

But here’s an even better question for you.

How and why does a man who knows that he will be a king one day and then the next day go through with this? Why does he allow himself to be despised, given over to death and betrayed. Why does he go through with this?

As we move into holy week (a week of remembrance of his death and resurrection) let us not only Celebrate and Remember that Christ is our living King and his incredible sacrifice of love but let us live this out. Let everyday be a celebration of Easter. Let everyday be a reminder of how he practically, pragmatically and painfully showed us what love is. Let us model that maturity and love he has and calls us to. The life of service, grace and mercy that are found in him.. May we posses the mind of Christ in our actions and hearts and be continually transformed into his image.