Jesus' entry
into Jerusalem introduces the final days of his ministry prior to his arrest
and crucifixion, In tradition, certainly from the 4th century, Jesus spent a
week in Jerusalem (Palm Sunday to Easter). It is quite possible that Jesus
spent weeks, even months, in Jerusalem. Maybe Jesus came to Jerusalem for
the feast of Tabernacles and was arrested and crucified at the feast of Passover.
Jesus has told
his disciples to leave the road and go to Bethany on the side road where they
will find the colt. In accord with the arrangements, Jesus underlines his
intention to return the animal to its owner when its task is completed.
The animal is
tethered out in the street, "at the door", rather than in a stable or
yard, ready to be picked up as arranged. They found the colt untied it and
there were some people standing there. They questioned the disciples actions.
Presumably the owner is not at home, and given Jesus' instructions, he probably
knew that the owner would not be at home. This is why the owner has tethered
the animal out the front. They answered, "The lord/master has need of
it", which satisfied the bystanders. They threw their cloaks over it in
place of a saddle.
They spread
out, or strew "branches", bits of straw, rushes, leaves, probably
foliage from the fields or possibly olive branches.
Jesus was
surrounded by people. They started to cry "Hosanna" which means save
us we pray, save us now. the pilgrims' blessing of Psalm 118:25-26, Jesus is
acclaimed by the people as the coming Messiah. A fulfilment of prophesy.
The context of
the ride into Jerusalem we remember from John’s gospel, is the healing and
raising from the dead of Lazarus. Why else would the people suddenly recognize
who Jesus was...Why else would they process and chant in such a manner?
Mary the sister
of Lazarus recognised this when she took the perfume and poured it over Jesus
"for the day of his burial"(John 12v7).
The plot has
thickened, the chief priests are planning to kill Jesus and Lazarus because of
this raising from the dead.
And so you get
this commotion, this riot, this revolution.
It is very
surprising that when the secret is out, Jesus fully acknowledges who he is and
enjoyed for a moment the adulation and the full meaning of him riding into
Jerusalem on a donkey. For a moment the mood was different. And the disciples
did not understand what was going on until they looked back on events.
And so we have
before us a story of love and hate. A story of duplicity.
Jesus has
stirred up such feelings in people that some love him worship him and some are
threatened by him, because he is too powerful for them too good, too popular.
But hang on a moment don’t we have these thoughts too. Aren't their people
we hate, envy, because they show us up and they're more popular than us.
Do we sometimes hurt them, consciously or unconsciously, overtly or
secretly? Maybe there are people in our own families amongst our friends who we
feel in two minds about, or even in one nasty mind.
Time and time
again the gospels tell us that Jesus knew the people and the implication is
that he knew they were not sincere. It is the knowledge of a mature person. And
how right he was. We are all not sincere and we all fail and make mistakes and
sin deliberately or not.
Do we know
ourselves? Do we really recognise we are sinners. If you were in prison
would you feel more humble about your wrong doing? We are all sinners. We all
have the capacity to do wrong and often do. In the church and society we
categorise some sins as worse than others but this is nonsense.
Our lives are
like weeds in the soil. Unless we get them out root and branch they just grows
back again. What do we need to remove from our lives, or recognise is
there and contains or controls us? Or even in our churches,
our communities, country?
Jesus knew what
the people were like and he knows what we are like. Lent is a time to recognise
this so that we really rejoice in the sacrifice Christ made for us on Good
Friday and his resurrection 3 days later on what we now call Easter Sunday.
Unless we
really understand this we as Christians tend to become Pharisees, defined by
our good works and feeling better than other people. This is not the gospel! We
are all sinners. We can all be forgiven and feel Gods peace and live new lives
putting behind the old self, whatever we have done which includes sins that are
recognised as criminal and sins against others that are not stigmatised like
that.
Jesus was
driven to fulfill his calling despite death threats, and torture and finally
being killed. He wasn’t swayed by the crowd, by shifting emotions and
allegiances. Neither should we be but be focused on the task God has set us.
