How Can We Be Silent?
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It is right and good to begin Holy Week on this Palm Sunday singing Hosanna - a word that literally means “Save, we pray.” Save us, O Lord. Save us from harm. Save us from oppression. Save us from our own sins. Save us from your wrath, your righteous punishment. Save us, O Lord.
It is right and good to begin Holy Week by rejoicing as the disciples did when they “praised God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen.”
Luke 19:38 “saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!””
We enter into Holy Week, knowing what lies ahead. We know that while Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was met with celebration - it would not last long. Ahead of us, we have Jesus turning over tables and cleansing the Temple by driving out the vendors and merchants who had turned the House of Prayer into a House of Trade. This is the week when hostilities would escalate as Jesus directly confronts and rebukes the religious leaders in front of the people. In the days ahead Judas will make his deal to betray Jesus to the authorities. We will spend time Thursday remembering and reliving the Last Supper, knowing that it is followed by his arrest and on Good Friday - his torture, crucifixion and death. Then there is Holy Saturday - the time of silence and waiting before the good news of Easter morning.
Even though we know what lies ahead, I’m going to ask that we not go there yet. Let today be today. This is the day we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry in Jerusalem.
I will admit, it is hard not to jump ahead. Palm Sunday, at least for me, has been that one Sunday when we get handed a palm branch to wave around as we start the service with one of the Hosanna hymns, and spend the rest of the service either trying to make a cross out it, or pealing it in strands, or just setting it aside. The sense of celebration ends as quickly as the children exiting for Sunday school. Often the focus of the message is how quickly the same people who shouted Hossana! will later in the week shout Crucify him!
Let’s make this year different. Let us celebrate and praise our Lord. Whenever you hear me say Hosanna, I invite you to wave your palm branches and say “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Let’s practice…Hossana!
Why are the people in our gospel reading in such a festive spirit? Let’s look at the context. Many Jews had pilgrimaged to Jerusalem from all over to Israel to celebrate Passover - the holiday commemorating God’s deliverance of the Hebrew people out of Egypt - back when they were slaves. They were both looking back at God’s deliverance in the past and looking forward to God’s future deliverance from their enemies, the Romans, by way of the Messiah. Those who had come from Galilee to the north likely followed a similar path to the Holy City that Jesus and his disciples took. The last segment of that journey is an arduous one. It starts in Jericho, which is 18 miles from Jerusalem - and the interesting thing about Jericho is that it is lowest city on earth at 846 feet below sea level. Jerusalem is a mile above sea level, so we are talking a 3700 foot climb up the Judaen hills in hot, arid conditions. Those of us who have never been to Israel will need to use our imagination, but picture being on a religious pilgrimage, taking step after difficult step, uphill until you finally crest the ridge of the Mount of Olives and there before you laid out in all it’s splendor, the Holy City with the Temple shining in the sunlight. It must have been such a beautiful sight after so long a journey. Now to get to the Holy City from the Mount of Olives, you have to walk down and pass through the Kidron valley. The Kidron valley is also referred to as the Valley of the Shadow of Death - from Psalm 23.
Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Consider how awesome our God is to establish Jerusalem, the city of David, where he did and the symbolism of the path which Jesus took to get there. To reach the city of God, means starting at the lowest place on earth, walking an arduous uphill climb, passing through the valley of the shadow of death, until finally reaching the ultimate destination - the Temple of God.
That is worthy of a Hosanna!
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
This mirrors the path of discipleship, doesn’t it? We start by acknowledging our low position. We are sinners. We are below, God is above. And yet God calls us and invites us to come and be with him - in his Kingdom. By his grace he gives us His strength and power to make the journey - He provides the way. But the path of discipleship is a challenging one. It is made one difficult step at a time. When we finally reach the top, when God’s Kingdom laid out before us, we find we must pass through the last obstacle - which is death. Yet there is one right there ready to walk us through, the King who has already made the way.
Hossana!
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Jerusalem is filled with pilgrims. And there is an excited buzz spreading throughout the city and it is all centered on one person. Jesus.
You can imagine the chatter. I was there when he feed a crowd of 5000 with 5 loaves and two fish. My cousin was tormented by a demon - and Jesus spoke one word and now he is in his right mind. I hear that he walked on water. And of course, by now there are many people talking about him raising Lazarus from the dead.
All these signs - He must be the Messiah - the Savior. Surely he will be here in Jerusalem for Passover. He will raise up an army, drive out the Romans, he will sit on his rightful throne and restore Israel.
Hossana!
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Buzz and excitement may build expectation, but what event would trigger the open singing of praise of Jesus and affirmation that He is indeed the long awaited Messiah?
Once again, we must turn back to prophecy. God had spoken in the past of things to come by way of His prophets.
We can go all the way back to the time of Jacob, Abraham’s grandson. Jacob, before he died, called together his twelve sons and spoke a blessing over each one. These twelve sons would become the forefathers of the twelve tribes of Israel. Listen to his blessing over his son Judah, whose tribe Jesus would be a descendant by way of his earthly father Joseph.
The scepter won’t depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from among his banners. Gifts will be brought to him; people will obey him. He ties his male donkey to the vine, the colt of his female donkey to the vine’s branches. He washes his clothes in wine, his garments in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
It is an interesting image - a king who has arrived, tying his donkey to the vine - which in the Bible symbolizes Israel - and washing his garments in the blood of grapes.
The prophet Zechariah also spoke words concerning God’s return on the day of Salvation. Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Jesus’ choice of transportation was intentional. For three years he had traveled throughout the land of Israel - mainly on foot. He had just hiked uphill almost 16 miles by foot through the Judaen hillside, until finally arriving in the villages of Bethany and Bethpage - 2 miles from Jerusalem - and now he suddenly stops.
Go into the village - you will find a colt that no one has ridden on, bring it to me. If anyone ask, say the Lord has need of it.
It is quite probable that the owner of the colt may have been one of Jesus’ many disciples - this is the village of Mary and Martha and Lazarus, so by now he probably had a few disciples there. The Lord has need of it was likely all that needed to be said. The immediate obedience of the owner of the animal is worth noting. Immediate obedience, especially when it cost something, is the sign of a true disciple.
Hossana!
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
All of history has lead up to this moment. Jesus whole ministry has lead to what happens next. Until now, he has instructed his disciples not to tell anyone he was the Messiah, the Christ. But now, the time had come. The true King was entering His city.
The time had come for God to redeem the world.
Some of the disciples threw their cloaks on the back of the colt before Jesus sat on it. Others threw their cloaks on the road before him.
Their actions reveal their hearts - all I have is for you Lord. For your glory. The coat off my back, I lay down for you.
And the multitude of disciples sing…
Hossana!
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
The people see him coming and the other gospel accounts report of the cutting down of palm branches - some throwing them down on the path - others waving them in the air. The covering of the road with branches and cloaks was for the purpose of giving Jesus the royal treatment - this is how kings were honored - we find a similar passage back in the Old Testament at the coronation of King Jehu, 2 Kings 9:13 “Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.””
But this king is different. He was born in the most humble of settings, a manger surrounded by animals, and now he is processing into the city, not as a military leader on a war horse, but as a humble Messiah on a donkey.
Hossana!
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!
Ever since the fall of humankind and Adam and Eve’s banishment from the Garden of Eden, all of Creation has been groaning for God’s restoration. Now, here comes Jesus the Christ, the King who comes in the name of the Lord, entering Jerusalem. The people are are singing, the crowds rejoicing, but not everyone is onboard.
There are Pharisees in the crowd who are witnessing all that is happening and their response is based in fear. What if this results in rebellion - what if the Romans come and shut it down - there will be violence. Their response is also based on unbelief - he can’t be the Messiah, but he is threatening our control and authority. He threatens our power.
They shout out to him: “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
The blind leaders had failed to see what God was doing.
In their commentary on this passage, John Walvoord and Roy Zuck state…
The Bible Knowledge Commentary 19:35–40
Jesus responded that there must be some proclamation that He is the Messiah. If not, even inanimate objects (stones) would be called on to testify for Him. All history had pointed toward this single, spectacular event when the Messiah publicly presented Himself to the nation, and God desired that this fact be acknowledged.
Who Jesus is could be hidden no more. Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ.
Hossana!
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
God still desires this fact to be acknowledged. There are still many who want the good news that Jesus is Lord to be quieted. To be a private confession - not a public one. Keep it within the walls of your houses of worship - not in the public sphere.
That is not an option for a disciple of Christ. We are to publicly proclaim the greatest news the the world has ever received. How can we be silent? Even if we were, the rocks would cry out!
Jesus is Lord!
Hosanna!
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Hosanna!
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Hosanna!
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
AMEN!
