Hosanna to Crucify Him

The unexpected

At the fullness of time God sent his Son ,Jesus Christ, into the very world he created in the most unexpected way. Why Should Jesus entry into Jerusalem be any different?

It’s Palm Sunday the day we remember Christ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He rides in on a donkey like the conquering Kings of old to shouts of Hosanna. Come Friday those shouts of praise and acclimation are replaced with shouts of crucify him, crucify him. How do we get there?

The road to the cross Jesus takes an unexpected turn. This leads to betrayal by Thursday night and shouts of crucify him, crucify him, by Friday. Jesus was not the sort of messiah the people were expecting.

What we need to wrestle with this morning is how God sometimes answers our prayers and shouts of Hosanna in unexpected ways. How do we respond in our own lives when God does the unexpected?

Palm Sunday

The entrance

Jesus enters Jerusalem through the Golden Gate, riding on a borrowed donkey. He enters the city like the kings of old. As they made their way up to Jerusalem Jesus lead the pack. When he got on the donkey things shifted. He had an entourage in front of him and behind him shouting praises. Telling the masses to make way.

Mark 11:9–10 NRSV

9 Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

The shout of hosanna is a shout of praise which means save now, help now, save us we pray. These shouts went up with an air of relief in them. The long awaited messiah had finally come! The one who would ride on to the seat of Pilate and the Roman government and over throw Roman rule. He was the one who would restore the throne to his ancestor David. But Jesus didn’t do what they expected. The people, even his disciples missed what Jesus had been saying all along.

THE UNEXPECTED

Jesus final week is full of the unexpected. The people miss the point. Their shouts of hosanna weren’t answered in the way they expected and Jesus was not the messiah as they expected.

Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey. A donkey is an animal of peace not war. The people were looking for Jesus on a white horse ready to ride into battle. Revelation 19:11-16 does have Jesus riding on the white horse they expected.

The first place Jesus heads upon entering Jerusalem isn’t to the seat of government and Roman rule, but to the temple. He flips tables and challenges the religious leaders of his day. Instead of over throwing the seat of government Jesus over turns tables in the temple. From this point forward the religious leaders were plotting to have Jesus arrested and killed.

Even their shouts of hosanna, save now, were answered not as they expected. Jesus rides into Jerusalem not to save the people from Roman rule, but to save the world from the rule of sin and death. He rides into Jerusalem to make the Temple and sacrificial system obsolete. He rides into Jerusalem to throw open the gates, to tear the veil that separates the people from God. Jesus answers the prayers of hosanna but not in the physical way the people were expecting. Instead in a spiritual way.

In order for Jesus to save now, help now, save us we pray, hosanna needs to become shouts of crucify him, crucify him. The way to the coming Kingdom of his ancestor David goes through the cross.

I wonder as I wander

I wonder as I wander out under the sky. Why Jesus my savior didst come forth to die. For poor honery people like you and like I. Jesus our savior rides into Jerusalem to save now poor honery people. Thanks be to God he answered their hosanna cry in ways they didn’t expect.

As we enter holy week, what has you shouting hosanna? What or who has you asking God to save now, help now, save us we pray? Right that prayer or that name on your palm branch and pray over it through out the week. At Good Friday service there will be an opportunity to nail that request to the cross. Are you prepared for God to answer your prayers in unexpected ways?

So begins the passion of our LORD Jesus Christ.