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Volume. XXXV, No. 39 Hosanna or Crucify Him Palm Sunday commemorates the start of Passion Week. Triumphant entry into Jerusalem starts off the final week of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on this earth before He suffered, shed His precious blood and died on the cross for our sins. All the four gospels record this event of Christ's riding in triumph into Jerusalem five days before his death. He came into the world to give His life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28), but there was this kingly moment on display before his death on the cross.
Jesus came down from heaven with an eternal purpose, and he forgoes the crown for the cross. For all of His ministry, he travelled on foot. Yet once in his earthly life, he rode in like a victorious king in triumph. Yes, the King of kings took the humble path of the cross. This was according to the scriptures. Jesus' Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday fulfilled the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass" (Zechariah 9:9). This Old Testament prediction was fulfilled in Matthew 21:4-5.
Consider this King and his humility. Jesus' procession was also a bit strange. He sat upon a donkey's colt and not upon a great stallion. Christ could have summoned a legion of angels to escort him and travelled on a Cherubim. Jesus, who throughout his ministry, escaped the spotlight or often said 'my time has not yet come', knew his time to be glorified had come. He who created everything had not a house nor an ass of his own to carry him about. Yet for our sakes, he became poor that he may empathize with us (2 Cor 8:9). Palm Sunday is the great declaration of God's love for us. He left his glory and humbled himself to death on the cross (Phil 2:6-10). May we endow ourselves with the same spirit of Christ as Micah 6:8 reminds us "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?".
The all-knowing God requested for a colt and knew where the ass and her colt is tied. He sent two of his disciples with specific instruction only for an ass and her colt. In Matthew 21:2, Christ told his disciples where they should find an ass tied, which no man has sat upon, (Mark 11:2) and a colt with her. They went to fetch the ass and the colt, not doubting but to find them and to find the owner willing to lend them. The disciples prompt and undisputed obedience to Jesus’ command (Matthew 21:6) is praiseworthy too. Obedience is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams (1Samuel 15:22 ). Obedience shows our love and devotion. May we be found obedient to Christ always.
The multitudes reacted jubilantly on that first Palm Sunday when they saw Jesus. Straightaway they recognized Him from the words of the Scriptures (Zech 9:9) in that He is God, Israel's Messiah-King. They worshipped Him publicly and proclaimed Him as their God and King. They cried out, "Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the LORD; Hosanna in the highest" (Mathew 21:9). "Hosanna" means "save us". They were pleading with their Messiah King to save them. They cut down branches from the trees and strewed them in His way, and others spread their garments in the way that he might ride upon them.
But we see an irony here. Within a short span of five days, this same multitude of people who hailed Jesus with "Hosannas" turned around and shouted, "Crucify him, crucify him" (Luke 23:21). They perceived Jesus as a political messiah and not a spiritual one. They wanted a King to free them from the political control of Rome and to restore Israel to a state of independence. They wanted a King to serve their self-interest and satisfy their carnal desires to provide food and protection. Jesus did not serve their selfish and political expectations. They did not want a King who required them to humble themselves and repent of their sins and obey His Word. It was willful disobedience and rebellion against Jesus Christ, their God and King.
John MacArthur puts it well: "Many people today are open to a Jesus who they think will give them wealth, health, success, happiness, and the other worldly things they want. Like the multitude at the triumphal entry, they will loudly acclaim Jesus while they believe He will satisfy their selfish desires. But like the same multitude a few days later, they will reject and denounce Him when He does not deliver as expected. When His Word confronts them with their sin and their need of a Savior, they curse Him and turn away."
Do we perceive our Christ differently today? Hosanna or crucify Him. Have you truly repented of your sins and crowned Jesus as King and Lord of your life? Or do you believe in Him only for your selfish ends, benefits, safety and protection? Come to Him in faith and repentance. The entry into Jerusalem was later followed by a significant event of the cleansing of the temple. This is a sobering reminder to us all. Let us honour, exalt and praise the Lord Jesus our King all the days of our life. Let us come before Him in worship with love and gratitude for all that he has done for us. God has given us so great Salvation through Jesus Christ His Only Begotten Son. Let us give our best to the Master.
Jesus is coming again not to save but to judge. Zechariah prophecy continues in the following verse in Zechariah 9:10a, "And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off:". He is coming again not to bring peace but to judge the unbelieving world and to set up His Kingdom. The truth is that Jesus came the first time to be Saviour – to seek and to save sinners. He will come the second time to be Judge – a sobering truth to every hearer today. The Bible is clear that there is coming a day when Jesus will return, and this time He will not come as a humble servant but will return as the King of Kings and Lord of Lord's. God is not only a God of love and grace. He also is a righteous God and Judge.
May you seriously consider the mercy and love of God to save your soul this Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Let Jesus cleanse your life just like He cleansed the temple of God on Palm Sunday. In Luke 19:46, Jesus said -" It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves" We must purge our life of any known sins and live for Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 – "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him". He chose the selfless path of the cross when people wanted Him to be King for their own selfish gain. May we learn from Jesus and seek Christ today while He may be found. Let us, like John the Baptist, "prepare the way of the Lord" for the King who will soon be coming. Occupy till Jesus come, as a faithful steward of the manifold grace of God. He died in our place, and He is our King. Let Hosannas ring out from our lips and life.
Rev Mathews Abraham
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