Jesus Triumphant Entry

The Liturgy of the Palms

Today marks the beginning of holy week, a time when we hear the stories and walk with Jesus on the path to his crucifixion and resurrection.  The reading from Mark that began this morning’s service tells of Jesus preparation and entry into Jerusalem.  In some translations of the bible, this story is entitled Jesus triumphant entry.  This title has always puzzled me, what is so triumphant about it?

Two different takes on this story include Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar and our own entry into the santuary this morning.  In Jesus Christ Superstar, Jesus enters a town with crowds of people walking around him shouting Hosanna and waving palm fronds.  It is a joyous and raucous parade.   Similarly, we began this service commemorating the entry into Jerusalem by reading marks gospel story, blessing our palms and then parading around the church singing, All glory laud and honor.  In it, we sang the words, “thou art the king of Israel, thou David’s royal son, who in the Lord’s name comest, the king and blessed one.”  The whole sequence of events this morning is an indication of how the church celebrates Jesus entry. We read the words of Mark telling of Jesus entry and then as a congregation, we act upon those words.  We move out into the world in procession before returning to the church to continue the celebration.  During OUR celebration, we recognize that Jesus is entering Jerusalem as the Messiah, the King.  The long awaited savior has arrived and His time has come.  Yet, this celebration is short lived because immediately afterward this point, we read the entire passion story ending with Jesus death on a cross. But lets not get ahead of ourselves, I want to stay in Palm Sunday.  Because Holy Week has only just begun.

What must it have been like to be present when Jesus entered Jerusalem? For just a few minutes, let’s think about that. 

You are in Jerusalem, a city occupied by the Romans, THE imperial power.  It is Passover, a time when many people are making pilgrimage to Jerusalem.  A time when the people commemorate the exodus from slavery, it is a celebration of freedom and redemption. You are peasants standing on a dirt road outside the city walls.  In the distance you see people running into the street to meet a large group of people, probably another group of pilgrims. It seems this isn’t a normal group though.  You begin to hear people whispering comments, comments you strain to hear, but can’t.  Slowly you begin to recognize that leading the group is a man.  This man isn’t walking though, he is riding on a colt, possibly a young donkey so small that the man’s feet are dragging on the ground.  You are confused, why a colt, a symbol of peace?  As the group of people nears, the excitement continues to build.  You see other people running from the fields and placing palm fronds on the ground in front of him.  Still others are removing their cloaks and placing them on the ground in front of the group.  Your cloak is your identity, a part of who you are.  Is this man royalty?  Only kings get this type of greeting.  Finally the group is close enough that you see the man on the colt in the center.  He is not royalty, He is dirty and wearing only a tunic.  You can’t make out what he is saying or doing but you now can understand what the crowd is saying.  They are shouting, Hosanna, Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David. Hosanna in the highest heaven.  Again something is strange, the crowd is singing songs, typical of the pilgrims heading to the temple.   As the procession nears you, you have a decision to make?  Should I remove my cloak and place it on the road?  Why are the people shouting Hosanna? Do you recognize whom this person is that is riding into town on a colt?

Today’s liturgy of the palms is about just that.  Recognizing the person coming into town on a colt.  How do WE recognize the face of Jesus?  Jesus triumphant entry is as much about Jesus entering the city of Jerusalem as it is about the reaction of the people.  They were treating Jesus as royalty, a king.  The people on the road into Jerusalem gave of themselves in order to praise Jesus not knowing what would happen next.  They gave of themselves expecting nothing in return.  Just like the peasants on the road put down their cloaks and palms, we too are called to do the same.  We are called to give of ourselves.   This giving takes many different forms.  For some it is service to an underserved population, to others it can be performing random acts of kindness, and yet to others it can be paying a good deed forward.   It is in this selfless giving that we are closest to the people of Jerusalem that day.  For the people of Jerusalem, cloaks were precious property.  What are our cloaks, the things we wrap our identities it.  As we begin our holy week walk with Jesus, I leave you with question,

Would you take off your cloak and lay it on the road?  Throughout this Holy Week,  What does it mean to lay our identities at the foot of Christ?

Jay Walton, 4/2/2012, Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Pacific School of Religion