Expectations and the Kingdom- March 28, Palm Sunday

Luke 19:29-40 NIV

As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Today is a day of mixed emotions.  On the one hand we celebrate with joy the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem but on the other hand we realize that in just a few short days Jesus will be crucified by the very same people who celebrated him so wonderfully on this day.  The same people who yell “blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord” are the same ones that in just a few short days will yell “crucify him!”  How can this be?

Today as we think about this paradox we can only conclude that the people must have misunderstood Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem.  They think that he is coming to conquer, to set up his earthly rule, and to usurp the government.  They, just like what we mentioned with the disciples (here), had an idea of what a Messiah was supposed to look like.  They were all excited because as Jesus entered they had in their mind what he was going to do and then when he didn’t meet those expectations they shouted “crucify.”

Today we celebrate this day because we know that Jesus’ entrance points beyond what happened just on that day.  Jesus’ entrance does indeed point to a kingdom, just not an earthly one.  Today we look to the eternal and heavenly Kingdom of Jesus – a kingdom that is not entered through power and might, but through humility and repentance.  This is why we celebrate Palm Sunday.

On Palm Sunday we are again forced to consider what preconceived ideas of Jesus we are carrying around.  We must prepare our hearts to receive Christ for who he is or else we will quickly turn on him just like the crowd.  We are also forced to realize that we cannot enter the Kingdom of God through force, power, might, money, popularity, or sheer awesomeness.  The only way into the Kingdom of God is through confession, humility, casting aside our earthly cares, abandoning our own strength, and relying on the mercy and grace of Christ.

May God give us all strength to accept and rely on him for who he is so that we may fully enter his kingdom.

Closing Prayer:

Lord, as we think about your triumphant entry into Jerusalem let us not forget that you entered so that you could be lifted up on a cross for the salvation of humanity.  Keep this holy lent before us and let us cast aside all earthly cares that you may increase and we may decrease.  Amen.

– Anonymous