LENT 2011, Palm Sunday

I went back to my blog posts from last year to remind myself of the timeline for the daily journey Jesus walked that last week of His life. I plagiarized a little of my own writing, i.e., copied and pasted a bit when what I said then fits ideally this year as well, but most of what I comment on is fresh. That's intentional. In the interest of time it would be so easy to just copy and paste last year's to this year - - but I want to take the journey again. It forces me to take each step.

Mark 11:1-11

I have to skip Mark 10 to be on the right day for what was going on in Jesus’ life. Mark 10 tells us Jesus was heading in the direction of Jerusalem – and also about the healing of blind Bartimaueus as they were leaving Jericho.

It reminds me that when I see through Mark’s eyes, he tells the things that impressed him…but I miss some other things that are significant to me. My focus this year is on Mark – but I can’t just ignore the things he ignores.

However, even from Mark we know exactly where Jesus was on this particular Sunday. Mark tells us that as they drew near to Jerusalem, just outside Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead to the village they were approaching to keep a divine appointment with a colt.

Mark doesn’t tell us it is a donkey’s colt – we know that from other sources. The two disciples went as directed, appropriated the colt, and brought the colt to Jesus; threw their cloaks on it for Him to sit on, and Jesus rode the previously unridden colt into Jerusalem (about 2 miles).

Many in the mass of people who gathered threw their cloaks out in front of the colt for Jesus to ride over, while others spread leafy branches they had cut from the fields. The procession included people who walked in front and behind, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” 'Hosanna!' means 'Save Us!'

Zechariah prophesied this event 500 years before Jesus rode into Jerusalem from Bethphage. His prophecy was one of the reasons the Jewish people were looking for their Messiah. And by Jesus’ fulfillment of that prophecy, He was visibly and boldly proclaiming that He was the One who was prophesied to come - and in that moment they believed that!

I love Zechariah's prophecy: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt the foal of a donkey."

They believed Him to be the Messiah – and they believed the time had come for Him to oust the Romans, rule in majesty and right all wrongs. They were jubilant – and wrong. Oh, He was due the praise and honor they gave Him – but His kingdom was not the kind they were anticipating. Jesus didn't fit their script. Not then. That part is yet to be fulfilled.

Mark tells us that Jesus went to the temple - but it was late, so he returned to Bethany with his 12 disciples. That makes me pay attention. It reminds me that Judas was with him, hearing all of the clamor. He had lived in close proximity to Jesus, heard his teachings, heard the deserved praise and adulation….

Having stood so recently on the Mount of Olives, I am able to clearly visualize coming up over the hill from the area of Bethany and Bethphage - then reaching the top of the mount and going down it and up to Mt Zion to the temple. What I can't reconstruct as readily is the reality of the circumstances of that moment - and how truly amazing it was. The people had heard all of their lives that a Redeemer - the Messiah - was coming. Now they were buying into the proclamation that this humble man was the One. They were defying Rome.

This is what the disciples had waited for: for Jesus to proclaim His rightful place as King. An earthly kingdom was what Satan had tempted Jesus with during the 40 days in the desert - His 'get-out-of-cross-bearing-free card.' Jesus had already declined - and in this moment of exuberant exaltation, He ignored the pleas of the Pharisees and permitted those in the procession to proclaim His deity. It was a truly triumphal entry to those with eyes to see - but they didn't have those eyes.

How His heart must have broken, knowing what He knew.

On the Jewish calendar the day was Nisan 10. History recounts that this was the day pilgrims presented their Passover lamb for inspection. The lamb had to be perfect: spotless, with no defect. They would live with the lamb in their tender care until they killed it to bear their sins on Thursday, the day of Passover.

Our Perfect Lamb presented himself as well that day. Jesus had waited to come up to Jerusalem until just the right time. He had stayed away, avoiding confrontation until precisely the right moment. Now the time had come. What John the Baptist proclaimed when he saw Jesus 3 years earlier was being fulfilled. When John saw Jesus coming toward him where he was baptizing at the River Jordan, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

Today in Jesus' journey we too proclaim, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." The perfect Lamb.

Hosanna!

[Just as I left for 8 a m worship I heard on the news that there has been a terrible series of tornadoes on the East coast - the Carolinas were specifically mentioned. The news report said that it is the worst the area has ever had - so the first thing I checked when I got home was for TV coverage. There was none so I checked for online news. At least 39 people have died. It seemed like such compelling news to me - but it's obviously not a media focus. I'll have to wait for the 6 o'clock news for TV coverage it appears.]