Jesus' Parade of Palms!

April 6, 2020 Monday Message:

“They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!’” John 12:13

Yesterday was Palm Sunday and next Sunday is Easter, Resurrection Sunday. Let’s be honest – we’re all a little bit disconnected from the church calendar, because of the ‘Shelter in Place’ order stemming from the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.

I love a parade, and I love the Triumphal Entry, Jesus commandeering a donkey and colt with only the explanation, “The Lord needs them.” Then people, many of whom saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the tomb, lined the street with their clothes, and cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road, shouting, “Hosanna! Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna!” “Hosanna” means, “save us,” but with an urgency that implies, “Save us NOW!”

At the time, Israel was under Roman rule, but with a unique twist: As long as order was maintained in the region, the people were allowed to practice their own religion. Hence Rome ruled the land, but the Temple Priests ruled religion. Both groups were upset with the number of people following Jesus rather than the ‘organized’ religion, and calling Jesus “King of Israel” was a direct affront to Caesar.

When the parade was over, the Pharisees were disgusted. “This is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” John 12:19

Next week, even though the crowd switches sides, Jesus goes on to conquer sin and death on the same day!

Norton Lawellin, Worship Pastor

Jesus in the City Fellowship.

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406