The Palms and The Passion

 

 "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!” John:12:12-13

Triumphal Entry

Palm Sunday commemorates the entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem, often this procession is referred to as the "Triumphal Entry". When Jesus came into Jerusalem, many believed that  the Messianic kingdom was come. The air was filled with excitement and hope,the people waved Palm branches as a sign that the kingdom was now here,  they shouted "Hosanna!"  their king was come , he would fulfill the hopes of a nation  of Israel.
In this moment of  collective rejoicing on that Sunday, which held so much promise for the people of Israel , obscured the reason that Jesus had come to Jerusalem. Jesus had in truth come for one reason and one reason only, that is to die. Jesus did not come to establish the Messianic Kingdom , at least not in the way the people had hoped. Jesus has not come to ascend the Throne, but rather to ascend the cross.

Before the Palms are Waived Jesus is Anointed to Die

Just before coming into Jerusalem before the shouts of "Hosanna!" before the people waived the palm branches , Jesus was in the village  Bethany  at a dinner , at the house of a man named Simon the Leper , which was given in Jesus' honor.  

While there Mary the sister of Lazarus , was moved to preform a symbolic act that reveals the purpose of Jesus coming to Jerusalem,  Mary  anoints the head and  feet of Jesus with costly perfume. 

"While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head." Mark:14:3

"Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." John:12:1-3


 Some who were there disapproved of Mary action and saw this anointing as a waist of good perfume and rebuked Mary for it. Even as Jesus is there to be honored , they perceive this as too extravagant of an honor to bestow upon  him, they were thinking more of their own gain and not of Jesus' worth.

"Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly." Mark:14:4-5

 A Beautiful Thing

As Mary is rebuked by the onlookers  Jesus knowing their true motivation speaks up for her, and for any who bestow extravagant honor upon him. Jesus tells them that  this act of worship toward him was in recognition of  what he had come to do , and that none should disparage her for it. Jesus calls this act " a Beautiful thing".  What she did only showed what is true, that Jesus is the Anointed One she was only showing what she now perceived to be true.

Mary has done what she has done to show her understanding that Jesus has come to die;  to face the Passion of the cross a few days hence. She believed Jesus when he spoke of his Passion, that is his suffering and death which lied  just beyond the waved Palm branches;  for this Mary will be always remembered.

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”(6-9)

 Riding to the Cross

 Jesus had come to die even as he rode onward ,being greeted with joyful shouts among the waived palm branches in the hands of the people.   Yet there behind the palms , superimposed looming starkly was the cross of his Passion. This was his destination and the reason of his entry into the city. He was riding to the cross Jesus would not forgo it,  he would face the Passion that awaited him for us all. He would not be memorized nor deterred  by the swaying palm branches in the hands of the people.Jesus always knew this day was to be.

" the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world."Revelation:13:8b

Joy to Anger

Jesus was come , at that time,  to die and not to became the the ruler of a people. The very ones who so joyfully greeted Jesus as King and  who stood on the road way that Sunday were the same who , after Jesus not fulfilling their exceptions,  are at   the end of the week demanding  his death. They have moved from Joy to anger in a matter of days when Jesus does not do as they had hoped. At some point they have set their Palms aside and taken up the cry to crucify Jesus.

 "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

“What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

“Crucify him!” they shouted. “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified." (9-15)

 Palms and Passion

The the Passion of  Cross is part of the story that is often over looked when we read about Jesus entering Jerusalem , we too can be caught up midst the shouts of  "Hosanna! " and have miss understand why Jesus has entered our lives as he did Jerusalem. At first we waive the Palms of Joyful  anticipation, we hope that Jesus will bring the Kingdom of God mighty into our lives, we shout "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord", then the capricious nature of us all arises when Jesus does not do what we want and we find our selves, becoming filled with self-disillusioned toward our Lord. 

We have missed the point as to why he has come to us. Jesus wants us to see our need and look to his finished work of the Passion of the Cross. Jesus would save us in spite of our selves.He knew the nature of the crowd, and all of us,  and how they would vacillate toward him. Jesus knew that the same tongues which praised him would curses him.He knows exactly what we are, yet he road on knowing the Passion awaited him.

We want take hold the Palms but not the Passion.We like the people of Israel, want the glory of the kingdom now, but before the glory there are times of suffering.At times the Palms hide the Passion of the Cross from us. Jesus knew this and looked looked beyond  it to what he knew awaited him.

Jesus knew that after the Passion of the Cross there was the glory of the Resurrection.The glory of  the Resurrection was just beyond the Passion and the death of the cross.The way  to the Resurrection is that road to the cross that stands behind the shouts and palm waiving.

 "For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews:12:2b

 

 When we come to believe in Jesus and accept who he is, that is as Mary believed, it is,  as Jesus called it "a beautiful thing" . We then experiences what and who Jesus is. We see that he is the Anointed One, we believe that Jesus has died for us we are forgiven of our sin and capricious natures,  now are in union with him. We will share in all that is his,  the joy of seeing our King ; the Palms  and the suffering of the cross the Passion.  Both are ours in Jesus as the Apostles Paul wrote.

"I want to know Christ--yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death," Philippians:3:10

Paul mentions the Resurrection first because he wants us to know the ultimate out come of our sharing in the life of Jesus, even that which  is after the passion and suffering of this life. 

 
"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." Revelation:7:9

We can look to all that our Lord has wrought for each and all who will but  receive it freely by grace , there awaits a procession for us all , a moment in eternity of joyous shouts that our Lord is with us ; where the Passion of suffering will have passed and the Palm is held forever in our hands, we will be with our Lord forever in His kingdom,  giving all  praises to Jesus for all eternity.  

"Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord"....Amen

 Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor 

 

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

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