Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this PALM SUNDAY weekend;
I wonder what comes to your mind when you hear the words “PALM SUNDAY”? Probably the story of Jesus on a donkey riding over the Mount of Olives, right? Oh what a glorious experience that must have been for the disciples and every person on the hillside that day! But, that was 2000 years ago so what difference should that make in your world, mine today?
The Palm Sunday story is found in four places in the Bible, did you know that? Matthew the disciple was an eyewitness. He was there and he recounts it for us in Matthew 21:1-16. Mark grew up in Jerusalem. His mother, years later, had a prayer meeting in her home when the apostle Paul and Barnabas visited. (Acts 12:12) Mark was not one of the disciples, but he knew some of them and may well have been in the crowd that Palm Sunday. His story is found in Mark 11:1-11. Luke, of course, was a Gentile and the apostle Paul’s physician. Luke had investigated the story of Jesus and interviewed the disciples and others who were there that Palm Sunday. (Luke 1:1-4) Luke’s detailed account of Palm Sunday is found in Luke 19:28-48. Finally John, perhaps the best human friend of Jesus, was of course there, maybe walking right alongside the donkey, for John was never far from Jesus. It’s probable John was one of the two disciples Jesus sent to bring just the right donkey for Jesus to ride on. You’ll find John’s story in John 12.
When you combine the four stories, each gives us a little different perspective, since it is four different men, writing several years apart, each led by the Holy Spirit of God. Reading them together, we experience a wonderful, landmark event which launched the final few days of Jesus’ earthly life, leading Him toward His Passover crucifixion and His Easter resurrection. John tells us this Palm Sunday was the very next day after the perfume filled dinner at the home of Martha, Mary & Lazarus. (John 12:12,13) We sat in on that dinner event yesterday and it was remarkable, wasn’t it?
Matthew, Mark and Luke tell us Jesus sent two of his disciples into the town to find a particular donkey colt that no one had ever ridden. They were to untie the colt and bring it to Jesus and if anyone questioned them, they should simply answer: “The Lord needs it and will return it shortly…” (Mark 11:2,3) It appears it all happened just as Jesus had predicted. Matthew often made an effort in his account of Jesus’ life to make reference to any Old Testament prophecy which was being fulfilled by actions in Jesus’ life.
This unusual event is one of those for Matthew writes: “This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ‘Say to Daughter Zion, see your king comes to you gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Matt. 21:4,5) Matthew was quoting what the prophet Zechariah wrote in Zech. 9:9, which predicted the Jewish Messiah would one day come to Jerusalem (Zion) riding an untamed, donkey colt, yet the colt would be calm! Now if you’ve ever been around donkey’s you know THAT is a miracle, and those watching this scene would have seen Jesus on a tame colt as a miracle!
All the Gospel writers tell us the people enthusiastically and spontaneously did what would be normal for a parade honoring a victorious military commander or a great dignitary in those days: “A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna…” (Matt. 21:8) The word “Hosanna” was a great tribute to any victorious leader, for it meant “save us”! But what that crowd shouted to the man on the donkey on that Palm Sunday could only be said of Jesus, for they celebrated His God given lineage; and the fact that they recognized Jesus had been sent by God from heaven; and they echoed the angel’s announcement at his birth! The people shouted: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matt. 21:9)
You’ve probably been in a large crowd situation where something is happening at the far end of the crowd and you can hear the excitement and the wave of shouting, but you can’t see from where you are standing what the excitement is all about. I think that is exactly what happened on the Mount of Olives that Sunday morning. Like ocean waves, the cheers and shouts wafted across the hillside in all directions as Jesus, riding the donkey, came along through the crowd. Look, can you see children running and jumping, and adults waving their arms and some waving branches? Can you see others throwing down their cloaks on the ground to form a red carpet for the donkey and King Jesus? Wave after wave of shouting and praise, cheers and whistles.
Many of those close enough to see the donkey and the rider recognized Jesus as the miracle worker who had fed thousands with a little boy’s lunch; or given sight to the blind eyes of many people; or healed many crippled people in several different towns; or even cast evil spirits out of demonized people.
Many others, of course, had never seen Jesus or could not see the donkey or rider from their distance, so the natural cry was “WHO IS THIS”? ‘What’s all the commotion’? Those who knew Jesus shouted His name. Some others who had only heard about Him shouted that He was a miracle worker or a prophet from Galilee. (Matt. 21:10,11) But naturally, not everyone was celebrating. Any cheering on the Olivet hills would echo across the Kidron Valley to Jerusalem. And even though Jerusalem was a bustling, busy city, such waves of cheering would have caught everyone’s attention, both the Roman soldiers up on the city wall, watching to quell any disturbance; and especially those religious leaders up at the highest point of the city where the great Temple was.
Dr. Luke reports that “Some Pharisees in the crowd shouted to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’ But Jesus replied, ‘I tell you if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!” (Luke 19:39,40) Oh can’t you imagine the disciples and others applauding as Jesus made this statement, imagining all creation joining in this celebration? But to the Pharisees, who constantly studied even the most obscure Scriptures, oh they would recognize this as a powerful, pointed rebuke from Jesus directed at their hypocritical, failed, spiritual leadership. The old prophet Habakkuk had written about stones crying out in Habakkuk 2:11. Later in the week, Jesus would expand His condemnation of those Pharisees with His very powerful ‘Woe to you’ speech as Matthew recorded it in Matt. 23.
Is it possible my friends, that even in the swell of this great celebration, as Jesus looked on the great city of Jerusalem and the Temple rising above the city walls, that Jesus’ heart was torn as He looked back in time over the millennium since David had first established Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and then Solomon had directed the construction of the great Temple for God? Did Jesus grieve because so often and easily the Jewish people, and too often their leaders, had turned away from God, mocked God, and pursued the false gods of the nations around them? Several times in those 1000 years, since the days of King David, this Jerusalem, which was welcoming Jesus this day, had been attacked, invaded and even destroyed, as God had removed His hand of protection when His people turned their backs on God. (2 Chronicles 36)
As heartbreaking as the past was, Jesus, God the Son, was also able to look forward in time less than 50 years and see that Jerusalem would again be demolished and this great Temple destroyed, as God refused to protect His spiritually rebellious, faithless people from the Romans determined to eradicate both Jews and Christians from the land. In response, looking at Jerusalem through tear filled eyes on that celebration Palm Sunday, Jesus wept and He said “If you had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you on every side. They will dash you to the ground…because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” (Luke 19:41-44) And from that day to this Jerusalem has been a city living under various levels of siege, hasn’t it?
So my friends, what is Jesus seeing today as He looks at your heart and mine, our families, our marriages, our cities, our nations!? And what do you suppose Jesus is saying in response to what He sees, on this Palm Sunday weekend 2024 in Israel or where you and I live? Let’s sing praises to the name of Jesus, King of kings, with this song of worship:
Today’s Scripture: Luke 19:28-48.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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