God Moves: Unexpectedly to the Cross

Managing Expectations

There are times in life people, places or things don’t meet our expectations. Palm Sunday for those shouting hosanna, waving palm branches and hailing Jesus as the King of the Jews and long anticipated Messiah, would feel as if their expectations weren’t met.

Over the course of Christ “final” week the shouts of praise, and cries of save now will turn to shouts of crucify him, crucify him. Why? Because he didn’t live up to the people’s expectations of what they expected the Messiah to do. Today God moves unexpectedly to the cross.

We all know the story so we are expecting it, but those present on the first palm Sunday would not have been expecting the actions their Messiah was taking. God, the word made flesh came into this world, in the most unexpected way as a baby laying in a manger. God from the beginning of his advent has done the unexpected, and continues to do it today.

As we wave our palm branches and shout, shouts of praise in preparation of holy week, lets expect God to do the unexpected. May our shouts of praise break down our walls of expectation so we don’t miss what God is doing.

Making an entrance

Zechariah 9:9 NRSV

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

In Luke’s gospel Jesus is on a journey heading towards Jerusalem. Today he reaches his destination. The people’s expectations of what Jesus was going to do were mis-aligned, before Jesus gets on the donkey he tells the parable of the 10 servants to correct the expectations of what is about to happen. In this parable, often used to teach on stewardship as we wait for the coming Kingdom of God, the King is rejected. Jesus tells them this parable to change the expectations.

Isaiah 53:3 NRSV

3 He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account.

Jesus is making his entrance into Jerusalem. To further prove the point Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey. The donkey is a sign of coming in peace. If Jesus was riding into Jerusalem to restore the kingdom of Israel, he would have been riding a fancy mustang not a colt.

Jesus disciples get Jesus a colt that has never been ridden. They bring it to Jesus and lay their coats over it, Jesus gets on the colt and makes his way down the mount of olives.

Along the way his followers go before him shouting shouts of praise and singing on their way. In Luke’s gospel their shouts of praise would have gotten the attention of the religious authorities and the increased presence of Roman soldiers. They were shouting:

Luke 19:38 NRSV

38 saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!”

In Mark’s gospel the crowd was shouting

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!”

Jesus disciples went ahead of Jesus heading into Jerusalem praising God and announcing the coming king. This would have gotten the attention of the religious elite who were the servants who rejected their king from the earlier parable. At passover with the heightened security presence of the Roman authorities this would have gotten their attention. To proclaim anybody king but ceasar would have been fighting words.

Some of the Pharisees came to Jesus and told him to rebuke his followers for saying such things. Perhaps they were motivated by their rejection of him as the messiah, or by their fear of the certain Roman response, or even both. Perhaps they remembered the Roman response to Theudas and Judas who claimed to be great and people thought they might be the messiah, but they were killed and their followers scattered.

Acts 5:35–37 NRSV

35 Then he said to them, “Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered.

Jesus response to the Pharisees was if they keep quiet the rocks and stones will cry out. Creation itself will cry out in praise to God.

Isaiah 55:12 NRSV

12 For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Those in the crowd laid down their coats in front of the royal procession, and according to Mark’s gospel shouted Hosanna. Hosanna is a shout of praise that means save now. These shouts of praise and adoration in less than a week will be replaced with shouts of crucify him, crucify him. Some in this jubilant crowd, will be asking for the release of Barabbas. How does this happen? Because Jesus does the unexpected.

The shouts of Hosanna were requests to be saved now from the oppresive Roman rule. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey symbolizing he comes in peace. If Jesus was coming to overthrow Roman rule he would have been on a horse. Instead of taking the gate that leads to the antonia fortress, and over turning the seats of power, Jesus goes to the temple and over turns tables. Jesus does the unexpected. Throughout the next week God moves: Unexpectedly to the Cross. Instead of over throwing Roman rule, Jesus lays down his life on a Roman cross for you and for me.

Expect the Unexpected

As we begin our journey of Holy Week, let’s expect the unexpected. When put our own expectations on how or what we expect him to do, we can miss the very thing he is doing in right in front of us. As Jesus approaches Jerusalem and can begin to see it he weeps. Why? Because even after being told again and again the people have missed the point, and as a result have missed the time of their visitation from God.

Isaiah 43:19 NRSV

19 I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

When we build walls for God to work within, we will miss the new thing God is doing right in front of us. Through out scripute shouts of praise bring down walls. As we enter Holy Week may our shouts of hosanna and praise tear down these walls we have built. May God give us eyes to see the new thing he is doing.

What were the expectations of the people regarding the Messiah on Palm Sunday?

How did Jesus's entry into Jerusalem symbolize peace?

In what areas of your life do you feel your expectations need to be adjusted to see God’s work?

How might misunderstanding our expectations of Jesus affect our relationship with Him?