Palm Sunday
Matthew 21:1-11
21 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’ 4 This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 ‘Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 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!’
10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ 11 The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’
The long journey to Jerusalem is nearly done. A journey which careful readers have been sensing since chapter 14 (the beheading of John the Baptist) was not going to end well. A journey that Jesus has been saying since chapter 16 was going to end with his being killed and rising again. The uphill climb from Jericho to Jerusalem is now over and looking down on the city of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, Jesus makes ready his entry into the city.
The two unnamed disciples requisition a donkey and colt – the magic words to ensure that the borrowing will be approved by the owner being: “The Lord needs them.” Another thing falls into place – not Jesus needs them, not the Master needs them – “The Lord” needs them – would have sounded only one way in the ears of Jews – God needs them.
It was Passover time, crowds from all over Israel and the known world were flooding into Jerusalem. Many were from Galilee, and they knew who Jesus was. These join the disciples in the joyous celebration which is the introduction to the many people in Jerusalem who had not met him, not seen Jesus in action.
The crowd shouts “Hosanna” which means – “Save” or “Save us”. It seems strange that a cry for help has been turned into a shout of joy. But that shift takes place because the cry for salvation is directed towards God – and thus becomes a confident cry of hope, of certainty that God will save. The sign that this salvation is sure. And that salvation will come through this king riding on a donkey, this lowly king of peace.
To this lowly king of peace we also turn, to shout our Hosanna, to proclaim our confident hope that salvation has come in Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
On this Palm Sunday, Lord, we declare our “Hosanna”, we shout our celebration, for Jesus Christ, the lowly king of peace has come to bring salvation to our world. May he ride into our lives, into our community, and into our world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.