John 12:9-19
When the ordinary people of Jerusalem heard of Jesus’ presence in their area, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus—the man who had come back to life again.
That’s when the chief priests decided they would have to kill Lazarus too, for it was because of him that many of the Jewish leaders had deserted and believed in Jesus as their Messiah.
The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way into Jerusalem swept through the city, and a huge crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him, shouting, “The Savior! God bless the King of Israel! Hail to God’s Chosen One!”
Jesus rode along on a young donkey, fulfilling the prophecy that said: “Don’t be afraid of your King, people of Israel, for he will come to you meekly, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
(His disciples didn’t realize at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy; but later, after Jesus returned to his glory in heaven, then they noticed how many prophecies of Scripture had come true right before their eyes.)
Those in the crowd who had actually seen Jesus call Lazarus back to life were telling all about it. That was the main reason why so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this mighty miracle.
Then the Pharisees looked at each other, and said, “We’ve lost. Look—the whole world has gone after him!”
The story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we now refer to as Palm Sunday is told in all four of the Gospels.
The events leading up to, or immediately following the main event are not always told in the same detail or the same chronological order – (for instance, the Cleansing of the Temple comes after Palm Sunday in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but instead happens at the near beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in John’s account.) But the four Gospel writers provide an otherwise harmonious account.
Tradition has always identified Matthew as a tax collector in the area near Capernaum when he met Jesus; Mark as a Palestinian Jew who traveled at different times with both Paul and Peter; Luke, another traveling companion of Paul, as a Gentile physician, and John, as a Galilean fisherman – one of Jesus’ first called disciples.
Modern Bible scholarship views these identifications as very “iffy” at best, based on interior textual evidence and the broad time span covered.
I’m not here today to day to argue for or against any of these author identities, but simply to point out the broad diversity of the writers of the Gospels – and yet, on the subject of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem these four writers (whoever they were) show a remarkable cohesiveness.
Word has gone out that Jesus, that guy they’ve all heard of by this time, is said to have actually raised a dead man back into life. Whether they had believed what they had heard in the past, or not, this act seems to be a game-changer. They know some of the people who claim to have been there to witness this very act. They swap stories among themselves and come to believe it really must be true. They all gather to get a look at this man who just may be sent by God. As he draws closer they become ever more caught up in the excitement of the crowd and they believe! They believe that this one is their Messiah, their Chosen One, David’s son!
Only a few days later, it would all change.
In the aftermath of WWII the question was often posed as to how the German people, who had been seen as a basic, ”normal” people like any others around the world, such a short time before, could so quickly have been turned into the followers of the Nazi horror saga.
The answer, of course is that many did not but were forced to accept it, many rejected it and suffered the punishments themselves. Others were lied to, many were afraid of losing everything if they didn’t join it. But many – too many – swallowed it whole and jumped right in to become part of the nightmare.
This is a story as old as humankind. The story of believing in something or someone as long as it feels safe or even convenient, and then abandoning them as soon as it looks like becoming a threat to one’s comfort or safety. And it can happen with any of us.
Few people start out to turn their backs on their beliefs or betray promises they’ve made. Few expect to find themselves justifying the betrayal of their commitments in exchange for goods or power or safety – and yet it happens.
This is an unexpected lesson of Lent and Holy Week. Even Jesus was betrayed by those who loved him one day and betrayed him the next. Even Peter, before the week would be over, would turn his back on his beloved Lord. But Jesus carried on, he didn’t turn his back on us. He knew his calling and he followed it.
If those who loved him best could do it to Jesus, it could happen to any of us. This may have been Jesus’ lowest moment and certainly a low moment for those who abandoned him. But grace exists for us all, even in our worst moments. Grace is always here for us.
The events leading up to, or immediately following the main event are not always told in the same detail or the same chronological order – (for instance, the Cleansing of the Temple comes after Palm Sunday in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but instead happens at the near beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in John’s account.) But the four Gospel writers provide an otherwise harmonious account.
Tradition has always identified Matthew as a tax collector in the area near Capernaum when he met Jesus; Mark as a Palestinian Jew who traveled at different times with both Paul and Peter; Luke, another traveling companion of Paul, as a Gentile physician, and John, as a Galilean fisherman – one of Jesus’ first called disciples.
Modern Bible scholarship views these identifications as very “iffy” at best, based on interior textual evidence and the broad time span covered.
I’m not here today to day to argue for or against any of these author identities, but simply to point out the broad diversity of the writers of the Gospels – and yet, on the subject of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem these four writers (whoever they were) show a remarkable cohesiveness.
Word has gone out that Jesus, that guy they’ve all heard of by this time, is said to have actually raised a dead man back into life. Whether they had believed what they had heard in the past, or not, this act seems to be a game-changer. They know some of the people who claim to have been there to witness this very act. They swap stories among themselves and come to believe it really must be true. They all gather to get a look at this man who just may be sent by God. As he draws closer they become ever more caught up in the excitement of the crowd and they believe! They believe that this one is their Messiah, their Chosen One, David’s son!
Only a few days later, it would all change.
In the aftermath of WWII the question was often posed as to how the German people, who had been seen as a basic, ”normal” people like any others around the world, such a short time before, could so quickly have been turned into the followers of the Nazi horror saga.
The answer, of course is that many did not but were forced to accept it, many rejected it and suffered the punishments themselves. Others were lied to, many were afraid of losing everything if they didn’t join it. But many – too many – swallowed it whole and jumped right in to become part of the nightmare.
This is a story as old as humankind. The story of believing in something or someone as long as it feels safe or even convenient, and then abandoning them as soon as it looks like becoming a threat to one’s comfort or safety. And it can happen with any of us.
Few people start out to turn their backs on their beliefs or betray promises they’ve made. Few expect to find themselves justifying the betrayal of their commitments in exchange for goods or power or safety – and yet it happens.
This is an unexpected lesson of Lent and Holy Week. Even Jesus was betrayed by those who loved him one day and betrayed him the next. Even Peter, before the week would be over, would turn his back on his beloved Lord. But Jesus carried on, he didn’t turn his back on us. He knew his calling and he followed it.
If those who loved him best could do it to Jesus, it could happen to any of us. This may have been Jesus’ lowest moment and certainly a low moment for those who abandoned him. But grace exists for us all, even in our worst moments. Grace is always here for us.
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