Hosanna, Loud Hosanna Sing!

Mark 11:1-11

Today is Palm Sunday, and naturally our Gospel reading from this week’s Lectionary from the Book of Common Prayer gives the account of Jesus’ triumphal entry into the City of Jerusalem.  Let’s look at the passage together, and see what messages the Lord would have for us.

As our account opens, Jesus and His disciples have been slowly making their way to Jerusalem for the annual Passover festival. Jesus knows, as well, that it is here, in just a matter of days, that He will be betrayed to the Jewish religious leaders, who will have Him executed.  His crucifixion will pay the sin-debt we all owe, the innocent sacrificed for the guilty. Jesus knows that the third day afterwards He will rise from the dead.  Meanwhile, at this time, Jesus is approaching Jerusalem. He sends a couple of His disciples into the little village of Bethphage, where He tells them that they will find a donkey colt, who no one has ever yet ridden on.  They are to untie him and bring him to Jesus (vs. 1-6). When the owners of the donkey colt see the disciples untying him, they naturally ask what they were doing. They answered that the Lord needed the donkey, and He would have it returned, so they then go with the animal. The owners of the donkey undoubtedly knew who the disciples were talking about. They probably knew of Jesus’ ministry, possibly having heard Him preach before. They most likely had heard that He had raised Lazarus from the dead, since that occurred in the adjoining community of Bethany.  Though they were not part of Jesus’ inner circle, they were willing to do what they could for Him, even if was just loaning Him a young donkey colt.

As Jesus seats Himself on the donkey colt and begins to ride into Jerusalem, the crowds start to gather.  They lay their cloaks on the ground, cut down palm branches which they wave and also spread on the ground, and shout their praises to Jesus (vs. 7-10).  This was all in fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9, given many hundreds of years before.

Many in this crowd felt that Jesus would be a king who would come in, kick out the Romans, and set up a restored kingdom of Israel, where they would have their own king and country, just like in David’s day.  These people misunderstood Jesus’ mission and timing of His kingdom. The crowds shouted “Hosanna”, which means “save us”. These people were not thinking of being saved in a spiritual sense. Rather, they wanted to be saved from the Romans. Spreading of clothes on the ground ahead of someone coming in triumph was part of an ancient practice of welcoming a new king. Palm branches symbolize joy and salvation, a future royal tribute to Jesus. Jesus did not come, this time, to be a king or claim a throne.  He came this time to be the sacrifice for our sins.  When He comes back again, at that time He will be coming as King and Ruler.  At this time Jesus chose to come riding a donkey, a humble animal, but one that symbolized His rightful royal status as the kingly Messiah and David’s heir.  He did not come riding a large, majestic horse. When Jesus returns in glory at His Second Coming, then He will be riding a horse (Revelation 19:11-16).

Many in the crowds that were there that day, singing praises to Jesus, would later in the week be screaming out for Him to be crucified.  People are often quite fickle. They shout one thing one day, and another thing the next day. Jesus knew their hearts; who in the crowds really meant what they were saying, and who were just parroting what they heard others saying.  For many in the group this was just an exciting parade. Later in the week, having fear of the religious leaders and the occupying soldiers, they would cry out for His death. Jesus really didn’t mean anything to them. There were a few who did truly wish to praise Him.   Some were grateful for their healing. Others had truly listened and accepted His words, and were acknowledging Him as the Messiah.

Which group would you belong to?  Do you just echo what others say at church, but the words are not from your heart, or you’re afraid to commit and stand for Jesus?  Are you perhaps an actual opponent of Jesus, like the religious leaders of the day? Or are the praises genuinely issuing forth from your heart?  Will you stand steadfastly with Jesus through His last week, through His betrayal, and through His crucifixion?