He is King

For Christians, today and throughout this week holds significance in our faith. What is so special about this particular week? It is "passion" week; these are the days leading up to Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. Today starts with Palm Sunday.

As a child, I can remember shouting: "hosanna, hosanna" in Sunday School class as we colored a picture of Jesus riding on that "good ole' donkey." Or if we had a really cool teacher, we would wave tree branches, reenacting Jesus and His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. If we were lucky, we got to keep the branches and used them to "sword" fight. Definitely not how the teacher intended them to be used. Palm Sunday is not just about the story of Jesus riding a donkey and people waving palm branches. It goes deeper than that.

11 When they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2 and told them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here right away.’”4 So they went and found a colt outside in the street, tied by a door. They untied it, 5 and some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 They answered them just as Jesus had said; so they let them go. 7 They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their clothes on the road, and others spread leafy branches cut from the fields.[a] 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord![b]10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven! --Mark 11:1-10

When Jesus made His way to Jerusalem, the city would be quite busy. It was Passover, a time to commemorate liberation from the Egyptians (Exodus 12:21–40). Many Jews had traveled to celebrate during this Jewish holy season. As Jesus commanded His disciples to go fetch him a colt (donkey), He was fulfilling Old Testament prophecy (Zechariah 9:9). This man, who had healed the sick, fed thousands of people, performed many miracles, would be their triumphant King! He would conquer all. Or so they thought.

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people shouted: "Hosanna!" Many of us use this term as a form of praise, verbally declaring our gratitude to the Lord. However, in this case, Hosanna was a cry for salvation! Save us! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. The people thought Jesus was coming as a conquering King, coming to overthrow the government. They had a very different expectation of Jesus in mind, contrary to what He was about to accomplish just a few days later. As they were celebrating liberation from Egypt slavery, they were also anticipating liberation from their current oppressors.

Why did they think Jesus was going to come and overthrow their oppressors? Just one indication comes through their use of palm branches. During this time, when the Jews used palm branches, they were used a nationalistic symbol of Jewish victory. At one time, palms were stamped on coins in rebellion to the Romans. The Jews thought Jesus would be their liberator from their governmental enemies. What Jesus was really coming to do was save them from themselves, to set the captives spiritually free. One day they are praising Him as their conquering and victorious king, later they are yelling crucify Him! When their expectations were not met, they quickly turned against Him.

How often do you and I do this? We expect Jesus to do things the way we think He should. When we view Jesus in such a manner as the great liberator of our own agenda, we are sorely disappointed when those expectations are not met. Jesus did not come to fulfill our agenda; Jesus came to do the will of His Father (John 6:38). If we are not careful, we fall into the same trap that the Jews did. They expected one thing, hailing Jesus as their triumphant King, but were hurling Him to the cross a few days later.

Let us be careful with our expectations of Jesus. Lest, we too, cry crucify Him with our words and actions. Let us remember the true reason Jesus came. He did not come to liberate us not from a political party, some group of people, etc. No! He came to liberate us from sin. He came to liberate us from ourselves; He came to set us free. He is our king that offers us salvation. We can cry out to Him: "Hosanna, save us from our sin." If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” --Romans 10:9-11

"On this day he entered the holy city of Jerusalem in triumph, and was proclaimed as King of kings by those who spread their garments and branches of palm along his way. Let these branches be for us signs of his victory, and grant that we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our King, and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life; who lives and reigns in glory with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen." - Book of Common Prayer