We begin our text today with Jesus in Bethany, where we have just seen him enjoy a meal and have his feet washed and anointed with oil by Mary. One of the people gathered around the table with Jesus is Lazarus, the man whom he had recently raised from the dead. News has already begun to spread about Lazarus’ resurrection and many have decided to go out and see him. As we’re told in our text, they aren’t really going to see Jesus, but to see Lazarus. In other words, they aren’t looking for Christ, but the work that he has done. Now, if you recall, the Sanhedrin, the chief priests and Pharisees, had pretty much put out an ABP on Jesus so that they could find him, arrest him, and kill him. Well, they hear about where he is and they hear that he is with Lazarus and they hear about all of these people who are not only going to see Jesus, but that are really going to see Lazarus. These people have heard that Lazarus has been raised from the dead by Jesus and in essence they don’t fully believe it until they see it with their own eyes. The Sanhedrin decides that they not only should carry through with killing Jesus, but that they should now kill Lazarus as well. You see, this whole talk about resurrection will go away once Lazarus is dead. If they kill him, then they can begin to spread their own rumors about the fact that Lazarus was never really resurrected and that it was just a myth propagated by those who supported Jesus.
As luck would have it, the Council never has to send anyone out to find Jesus because the very next day he was coming into Jerusalem. Now, I absolutely love this quick account here of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is one of my favorite texts in all of Scripture, and the reason for that is because of how rich it is with historical and archaeological information. Nearly every detail of this account carries with it some significant meaning, all pointing to the greatness of Christ and the coming of the Messiah. Details that seem insignificant or miniscule in fact are of vital importance.
The first thing that we think of when we remember the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday are the palm branches. Just as some of the children came in to begin our worship service today by laying palm branches at the foot of the cross here, the people of Jerusalem lined the streets with palm branches, waving them at Jesus. The estimated number of people there lining the streets as it is figured by church historians studying the regular attendance at this festival is thought to be somewhere around two million people. To put that in perspective, it is about 3x the estimated amount of people who attend a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday, and all two million are lining this street, this road entering into Jerusalem, waving palms, and looking for Jesus. Now, they are waving palm branches because that was the symbol of victory in the Jewish culture. During the intertestamental period, the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments, the Jews had waved about palm branches immediately after any major military victory. After a period of time, the palm branch became somewhat of a symbol of freedom and victory for the Jewish people. So much so, that after this account, after the Jews revolt against the Romans, sometime in the 60’s AD, the people of Jerusalem minted their own coins with the image of a palm branch on them. So you see, the palm branch was the people’s way of acknowledging the freedom and victory that Jesus represented. Now it should be noted that their ideas were not what actually came to pass, seeing as how many of them who waved branches this day shouted for Jesus’ life to be taken only a few days later.
Even the words that they are shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel,” carry with them special significance. First off, the word Hosanna comes from the Hebrew word that means “save now.” They are shouting for something immediate. The phrase “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” is taken from the hallel, a series of psalms that were sung every morning during the Feast of Tabernacles, which consists of Psalms 113 through 118. These words would have been known by heart by every Jew in attendance. As they are shouting “Save now,” and reciting their most cherished of songs and calling Jesus the “King of Israel,” they are making it known that they are looking to Jesus for salvation. They are looking for him to save them, although most likely they are thinking that he will save them in some military sense.
And finally, we have the lowly donkey. Typically, when any royalty or anyone of status rode anywhere it was on a horse. And not just any horse, but a noble steed; a horse fit for such a prominent person. Jesus, however, does not enter Jerusalem on top of a horse. He enters Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey. Mind you, the donkeys ridden around the Holy Land are not like the donkeys that we see around the US. The donkeys over there are much shorter. An average person, even someone as short as I am, would have to bend their knees in order to ride one. Also, it isn’t as if Jesus’ donkey is a well-trained traveling animal, this donkey is young and has never been ridden before. It should be noted, however, that Jesus’ entering on a donkey is not strange at all, but it actually fulfills a messianic prophesy from the Old Testament. The prophet Zechariah said that the King, the Messiah, would enter into Jerusalem riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey (9:9). He was coming in lowliness, meekness, and humility. I often wonder how many of those who were lining the streets were disappointed at Jesus’ coming in such a humble manner. Even more to the point, I wonder how few of them, if any, were actually excited to see him come in on a donkey. I wonder if any of them remembered the words of Zechariah as they saw their Savior enter into Jerusalem. We know from our text that the disciples most certainly didn’t recall the words of Zechariah; that is, until after Jesus’ resurrection.
We see in the final verses of our text that there is a focus once again upon Lazarus. After all, the raising of someone from the dead was something that Jesus had done that there was no disputing. People could explain all of his other miracles away as mistakes in interpretation or illusions, but there was no disputing that someone who was dead and buried was now up and walking around. You see, this miracle, more than any of his other works, placed a great deal of focus upon Jesus Christ. Even the Pharisees acknowledge that this is the case. Their worst nightmare is becoming a reality. The man known as Jesus is gaining fame and notoriety by the minute. From their perspective, it seemed like the entire world was going after Jesus and searching for him so that they could speak with him and learn from him and eventually follow him. Boy, how great would it be if that were actually the case then as well as today?
Ultimately, we find in our passage that people are interested in Jesus. They are curious about who he is and they are full of false expectations as to what he is to accomplish. Over the course of the next few days, their ideas and hopes will seemingly be dashed. The great military victory that they are celebrating with such vigor is not what is coming. We know that what is coming is a turning of the people away from Jesus. As they cheer his name in adoration now, they will shout his name in anger in only a few days’ time. They will feel as if they wasted the good surprise on Jesus. You know, that moment when you’re trying to surprise someone and you accidentally surprise the wrong person. You see, all too soon the people will reject him, but as the prophet Zechariah said, he would become the chief cornerstone, the tent peg, the battle bow, and the ultimate ruler. Jesus was coming to be the foundation upon which our lives is to be built. The time has come, his hour is at hand. This entrance into Jerusalem is the beginning of the most significant and important week in the history of mankind. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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