Palm Sunday. Jesus rode a young donkey into Jerusalem to the whoops and hollers of an adoring crowd. “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Mark 11:9-10, CSB).
Jesus could have cantered into town on a great white charger, with flags furling and trumpets blaring. No. Jesus, without any fanfare, rode on a little donkey.
He could have sat upon an extravagantly tooled saddle, fit for a king. He didn’t. Someone, a faithful follower, threw his ragged coat over the back of the animal. That sufficed as a saddle.
Like King David, Jesus could have been flanked by a platoon of experienced lieutenants, each on an impressive steed. I can imagine their coats of shining armor, their helmets, their swords and spears. But Jesus rode alone.
He could have come to Jerusalem to take His rightful place upon the throne. Instead, He came to die on a Roman cross.
“A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name
of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:8-9, CSB).
A “very large crowd” shouted “Hosanna!” They called out to the promised Messiah, “Save us now! Save us now!”
In the crowd that day, the blind man watched with adoring eyes. The leper, whose skin was pink and perfect was there. The man with the withered hand, waved to Jesus. The quadriplegic jumped for joy. The man possessed by a legion of demons, was clear-headed and right-minded. The widowed momma, who had dressed her only son for burial, now leaned upon his strong shoulder.
“The whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice 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 heaven!” (Luke 19:37-38, CSB).
I titled this blog, “The Hypocritical Crowd” because five days later, the crowd, led by the jeering and scoffing scribes and Pharisees, changed their tune. To be fair, many of the faces in the crowd had changed. But I suspect that some of the same people were still in Jerusalem as Jesus stood trial before Pilate.
The crowd that said “Hosanna” on Sunday, roared, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” on Friday morning.
Jesus loved the whole hypocritical crowd. Indeed, He walked willingly to the cross and shed His blood for any and all.
South Georgia Baptist Church
Amarillo, Texas
Mike Martin, Pastor
mike@southgeorgiabaptistchurch.org