Matthew 21:1-11 

“The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” vs. 9

All of the gospels report that Jesus entered Jerusalem on his final journey, flanked by hordes of pilgrims, and riding on a donkey. The crowd hailed him as the successor to David, Israel’s greatest king, and was looking forward to his coronation as messiah. Jesus says nothing to disabuse them of this notion, but the learned among them must have wondered why he was not mounted on a war horse. Of course we know that the donkey is the p the story! Jesus may have been a king but he wasn’t anything like David, and his throne was a rugged cross. 

When the crowds finally figured this out, most deserted him. They had no idea what a king on a cross represented. But others did understand, and they began to see this sublime act of humility as the key to knowing Jesus. They even adopted the cross as the most powerful symbol of love this world has ever known. It has become the center of our lives together, the magnet that draws all believers into one body.

So on Sunday we’ll be waving palms in our worship, a great way to remember the humility of our king, and some will weave the palms into crosses! It’s a great way to link Palm Sunday to Passion Sunday! After all, they are one and the same!

Thought for the Day: What’s appealing about Palm Sunday?