“A New Journey with a New Love”

Scripture: Mark 11:1-11

Today is Palm Sunday – the day when we celebrate Jesus’ glorious entry into Jerusalem. It would be the beginning of an unforgettable week – for many people, and in many different ways! Jesus’ teaching would take on a poignancy unlike anything before. The Lord had never been one to be politically correct, never one to pull his punches, never one to make everyone feel good about themselves.
But during this coming week, his words would become even sharper and more cutting – there was little time left, and even his disciples would have to stand in his “line of fire”. Why would these last few days have to center on such difficult and painful correction, and not simply on the life that the people could find by faith in him? Why would he stir up the ire of the authorities, instead of showing love to them? We may never know, except that the truth, God’s Truth, must never be compromised, never be avoided, and that would always be Jesus’ stand, too.

Read Mark 11:1-3

Jesus and his followers were approaching Jerusalem from the East. The Mount of Olives was across the Kidron Valley, and the view that they would have of the city would be marvelous. But why would he desire to ride a young colt, instead of his normal mode of foot travel? It would be a great departure from his norm.
But this new way would have a deeper significance for the people of Israel. It would be a sign of royal victory. Victorious kings would normally ride a mighty war horse, but as they approached their home city after conquering their enemy in battle, they would transfer to a donkey, or other young colt, as a sign of humble victory. But even with this intent at heart, the change in steed would tend to focus prideful attention on the king. The time for power would have passed, and now was a time to celebrate victory and honor for the conquering hero. And the people would grasp this significance without hesitation.

But why, and why now? Jesus knew very well what awaited him in Jerusalem – he had even told his disciples exactly what would be coming his way, but even after all these years, they still didn’t understand. (e.g. Luke 18:31-34) And why did he ride these last few miles in a sign of victory? After all, he was going to be executed as a common criminal, wasn’t he?

Read Mark 11:4-8

Covering the colt and the road with coats and cloaks and branches was a sign of honor being offered to the victorious King. If only they had known that the victory that Jesus was about to gain for them would be in a spiritual sense, and not through war. Messiah was supposed to be a warrior king who would overthrow the oppressors of Israel, not one whose victory would be over the spiritual forces of evil! The people wanted him to conquer Rome, not the sin in their hearts. Jesus knew of their misconception and faint heartedness, and in Luke 19:41-44, we read that he wept for the fate of the city and for the people’s lack of faith.

For three and a half years, the Lord had done all that he could to show the people the better way. He had healed their broken bodies, he had freed them from demonic possession, he had fed them, and taught them, and revealed the truth of the prophets, and still, they couldn’t pull it all together. They had experienced the divine authority that was in him, and yet, it just wouldn’t register.

For the people, this was just another grand entrance of a conquering hero, and one more opportunity to hope for freedom. If they had only understood the fullness of this promise! If only!

Read Mark 11:9-11

As Jesus approaches the Eastern, or Golden Gate of the Temple, the people would be singing his praises. His disciples would have thoroughly enjoyed this, and would think that as his disciples, that they, too, were begin honored. It was an uplifting experience for them, as all too often, tensions between the followers and the Jewish and Roman authorities all but eliminated any sense of glory for them.
But this time was different. The very praises would speak to the expectations that abounded.

“Hosanna” was a call for salvation, but it was being offered up in the secular sense, and not necessarily in the spiritual one. It would resonate with the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9-17. “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! … See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The prophecy then goes on to proclaim the victory that will bring a peace to the nation, to the extent that the weapons of war will no longer be necessary.

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” – tells us that salvation will only come from Almighty God. Psalm 118:25-26 “O Lord, save us; … Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. …” It had been in the hearts and minds of Israel since the time of King David.

“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” For Israel, King David’s reign was a time of glory for the nation. They were victorious, they were respected, they were honored, and the coming of Messiah would be a sign of the reestablishment of kingdom under a descendent of the great David.

“Hosanna in the highest!” They saw the impending time not only as a time of freedom, but as one that would bring God’s glory into their lives – it wouldn’t just be a time of freedom – it would be the very best time that they had ever known!

The people had an inkling of who Jesus was, but how far they were from the fullness of his truth. And we can get caught up in less than the fullness of Jesus, too. We want suffering to be a thing of the past, we want prejudice and discrimination to fade from our lives, we want to be freed from the oppression and mistrust of this life, and we want it to come without any need for struggle on our part. We want glory without the effort that it will always require. We want freedom without the need for conflict. We want salvation without sacrifice. And unfortunately, it just doesn’t happen that way!

Rejoice in the glory that awaits us, but don’t get so caught up in the celebration, that we lose sight of the steps that take us there. The Church has been waiting 2,000 years for the final victory to take place, and it isn’t here yet! And while we wait, there is suffering, and struggle, and mistakes, and sinfulness, and pain, and oppression, but the true Church continues to grow, and the false prophets and false teachers continue to come and go. Glory is coming closer, with every step that we take, and every day that we live, and every expression of faith that we offer.
Palm Sunday is not just a celebration of a coming victory – it is a call to faithfulness, regardless of how long it takes that victory to fully emerge, and it is also about how much anguish the Church must endure while we wait. “Hosanna” can no longer be a plea for salvation - it must be our claim of salvation.

But this journey, this time of waiting, should never be seen as a burden on our lives. It is the opportunity to celebrate Jesus’ glorious presence in our lives, continuously! It is the time when we can carry on with the Lord’s ministry to the lost and hurting of the world. It is the time within each moment of every day, of every life, that we can introduce the Lord Jesus Christ, the Promised One of God, the Anointed One of heaven, to one person who doesn’t yet know who Jesus really is, and then to another, and still one more.

“Hosanna in the Highest” - hosanna from the Highest. That is the Church’s promise, the Church’s hope, the Church’s call, the Church’s message, for all the world, for all time.