Where Are You Headed?

Palm Sunday. A high holy day. A day that stands between the season of Lent and Easter, that ushers us into Holy Week. A day that we wave palms and parade around singing Hosanna. A day we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Triumphal entry. A victory march. Is this where Jesus is headed? It’s the Passover. Hundreds of Jews are pouring into the city. It would be like the city of Savannah on St. Patrick’s day.Even the buses shut down because it is jam packed. Streets are blocked off for miles. And there this huge, lavish parade.

So the Jews were still under Roman authority, and they were really supposed to worship the Emperor. Bethany Benz-Whittington says how “every year on the Passover the Emperor would parade through Jerusalem where all the Jews lived with all of their soldiers and weapons and prisoners just to remind them that they were supposed to worship the Emperor, not God.” The Emperor would have ridden in on a glorious war horse or in a chariot, would have been dressed in fine purple cloth. The parade wasn’t like Mardi Gras. You weren’t throwing beads. It was a display of power, almost daring people . On one side of town, the Emperor is reminding Jews of their oppression. But on the other side of town, Jesus has his own parade going on.

On the other side of town, Jesus is entering the town. Cloaks are being spread down before him and palm branches are being waved. Why palm branches? Why not roses or something a little more fancy? Well it goes back to Jewish history in the Macabbean revolt, when the Jews drove out their oppressors. In celebration of this, they waved palm branches as can be seen in 1 Maccabees 13:51. Palm branches for the Jews would be like waving flag campaign signs. For them, it was a sign of their long-awaited political victory.

Although the people chose palm branches, Esau McCauley notes that this isn’t the symbol Jesus chose for his parade. Jesus chose a donkey. Literally a beast of burden. An animal that shouldered the weight. Not just a donkey, but a colt. An animal that had never been ridden. This type of animal is the type that would have been used for sacrifices for religious purposes. But what does it also symbolize? Matthew tells us that it was to fulfill the words of Zechariah 9:9-10. Zechariah says that the king will come humble and riding on a donkey. And that he shall cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem. And he shall command peace to the nations.

On one side of town people’s eyes are cast down under the gaze of the empire. On the other side of town, people’s eyes are lifted up to the one who is entering not with a banner of war, but a banner of peace.

On one side of town, the adults say Hail Caesar. On the other side of town, children shout Hosanna. The voices of children are shouting Hosanna, which means Save us. This isn’t a school cheer. This is their plea. This is their hope. This is their protest to the way of life as they know it. Hosanna, save us. This was a culture that saw children as little more than property and slave labor. And the cries of the children ring out saying, “Hosanna, save us.”

Hosanna, save us. Jesus chose a donkey, an animal of sacrifice, an animal of peace. But we have our palm branches. I bet everyone was so sure they knew where Jesus was headed. So sure he was on their side. So sure they had it right. He was going to the temple. He was going to take over. Let’s pull out our palm branches.

Esau McCauley has a wonderful article in Christianity Today in which he says “On the flip side, I’ve noticed that some of us have become much too confident in our own discernment. We’re convinced that we are right and our enemies are not just wrong but evil. Surely Jesus hates the things we hate, doesn’t he? Surely he wants to establish his rule through us right now, one angry tweet and fiery comment at a time. And so we pick up our palm branches and raise our shouts in support of the Jesus we’ve created in our minds, not the crucified Messiah—whose rule is rooted and grounded in love. He has become a rallying cry for our agenda, not his....All of us are shouting about Jesus but not paying attention to his own words and actions.”

Everyone thought they knew where Jesus was headed, but no one wanted to join him where he went. This week begins with the cries of children shouting “save us.” and ends with adults shouting “crucify him.” Raised palms turned into clenched fists. Shouts of welcome turn into a call for murder. The signs have been taken down. The palm branches destroyed.

But the voice of the children echoes- Hosanna, save us. Blessed are you who come in the name of the Lord. Perhaps now more than ever we need to hear the voices of the children saying save us. Maybe they are the ones preaching today, beckoning us to listen to their voices on the side of the parade. Jesus didn’t forget their Hosannas. And he doesn’t forget ours either.

Because even when we are lost, Jesus knows where he is headed. Even when we think we have it figured out, Jesus knows where he is headed. Even when we want to turn around and run, Jesus knows where he is headed. Even when we are at our very worst, Jesus knows where he is headed. And just like the children, he carries our Hosannas with him. All the way to the cross. Hosanna, God save us.