The Hardest Part (4)

The Roman Empire occupied the entire area surrounding the Mediterranean sea in the first century. And of course, they obtained this land through some pretty brutal military campaigns. The way they would honor themselves, their soldiers, and their military leaders was by way of a military parade. These parades were considered one of the highest honors a general could receive. It was this over-the-top public celebration awarded by the Roman Senate to commemorate a significant military victory. And these were really reserved for when significant land was taken or when lots of enemy troops were killed, and when Roman dominance was firmly established.

The parade would begin outside the city and then enter through the gates of Rome or another major city, all leading to the Temple of Jupiter, who was king of the Roman gods and seen as the protector of the Roman state. He was often worshipped on top of hills and in Rome that hill was called Capitoline Hill. Also, side note…I found out last week the full name of the god Jupiter is Jupiter Optimus Maximus…which just makes him sound like a Transformer, but his full name was used to describe the temple where he was worshipped.

So the general in command of the unit being celebrated by this parade typically rode at the very front in a chariot pulled by four horses. He would wear what was called the “toga picta,” which was a purple and gold toga traditionally worn by kings or gods. A laurel wreath was placed on his head, and his face might be painted red, which was done to make him look like the statue of Jupiter. This was considered a symbol of divine favor.

Behind him followed his army, often in full formal military regalia, displaying their discipline and strength. After the army came captured prisoners of war, often in chains, some destined for execution. The reason they did this was to publicly demonstrate Rome’s superiority and the crushing of its enemies.

Also included were spoils of war: gold, silver, weaponry, art, exotic animals (this is likely how lions got into Rome), and religious items that would’ve been looted from conquered temples. This was to showcase the wealth and reach of the empire.

Throughout the parade route, the air was filled with music, incense, and cheers. Priests and sacrificial animals also marched, as the triumph would end with religious rites and sacrifices in honor of the gods. The entire event was a visual and ceremonial assertion of Roman power—political, military, and religious.

In provinces like Judea, while full triumphs were reserved for Rome itself, governors such as Pontius Pilate or military commanders would stage smaller-scale military parades to display force. During major festivals like Passover, it was common for the Roman governor to enter Jerusalem with a contingent of troops to prevent unrest. These processions reminded the occupied population that resistance would be crushed and that Caesar’s authority was absolute.

A Roman war parade was more than a celebration; it was propaganda—an embodied message of control, glory, and dominance. It dramatized the Roman worldview: that peace came through victory, and victory came through power. The saying was Pax Romana. And the message the Roman Empire was sending was clear. Power and violence wins.

This type of parade, or fanfare is what a lot of people were expecting when the Messiah made his way into the world. But Jesus had a better idea.

Today we are working through part of the second half of Luke 19 starting in verse 28. After Jesus had done some teaching, he and the disciples picked up the trail on their way to Jerusalem. On their way he sent a couple of the disciples into a town called Bethphage and he had this really weird request for them to go into town and take this donkey that had never been ridden and it was supposed to be just standing around waiting for them to get there.

So they go into the town and they find this donkey, or a colt, because it’s a young donkey, and they get some questions from the owner about why they are untying it. And they simply say to him, “The Lord needs it.” They had previously been told by Jesus to do it this way. And there are varying explanations for why it seems so easy for them to walk into this town and take this donkey. Whether it was prearranged in some way, or if it’s a cultural expectation to let someone use something because they are in need, and that really revolves around the religious culture at the time. Or maybe it was because there was an enormous amount of Messianic Hope that had built up because of what Jesus had been teaching around that area. It’s a subject of some debate, but whatever it is apparently is good enough for the owner of the donkey, because he doesn’t seem to put up a fight about it.

Now, the first time I read this passage I remember thinking to myself, “Are these guys about to steal a donkey?” Like, that would be quite the turn of events, wouldn’t it? Then some other things crossed my mind regarding the divine nature of Jesus and I wondered if he created a donkey to be there when they got there. Neither of those things are likely the case…But, the ornery side of me really likes the idea of the disciples stealing a donkey…but that’s not the truth, because that’s not the character of Jesus and he wouldn’t have the disciples do something like that.

But they get this donkey and this is when the real story starts to unfold. Jesus is riding this donkey through a mountain ridge east of Jerusalem called the Mount of Olives. A few months ago, I talked about the story when Jehu was anointed as king of Israel. He was with a couple of his fellow soldiers and Elisha poured oil over his head and the soldiers standing there threw their garments on the ground in honor of their new king. This same thing is happening as Jesus makes his way through the valleys of the mountains.

And as he starts down the road leading out of the mountains down into Jerusalem, people are shouting and singing songs and praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. And they’re singing this song, “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in Heaven, and glory in the highest heaven.” Which is part of a song found in Psalms 118 that would’ve been sung by people travelling to Jerusalem to celebrate festivals. This time they are singing it as Jesus moves through the outskirts of Jerusalem while riding a donkey.

It’s about this time, the Pharisees, some of whom are in the crowd, become adamant that Jesus needs to get control of this situation and tell his followers to stop praising him and stop singing songs meant to glorify God. But Jesus refuses, saying this instead, “If they keep quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” Recalling poetry from both Isaiah and Habakkuk.

Check this out from Isaiah 55:12, “You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!”

And this from Habakkuk 2:11, “The very stones in the walls cry out against you, and the beams in the ceilings echo the complaint.”

These two verses reveal a profound tension in Jesus’ words to the Pharisees—a twofold meaning. On one hand, nature itself is poised to praise His arrival; on the other, this praise stands as a quiet protest against the existing religious and political order.

Considering the parades of the Roman Empire and putting them alongside what Jesus is doing with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, you can only imagine there is a lot to unpack here. It’s my belief that everything Jesus is doing here is well planned and calculated. And what it allows him to do is usher in a new kingdom in a very unexpected way.

Jesus is not just letting things happen. He’s being very intentional with his choices in order to have the biggest impact possible. This decision to choose a donkey that has never been ridden is a prime example of that. Because the only way to ride an unbroken donkey is slowly. And that deliberate ride into the city is no coincidence. Jesus is fulfilling a prophecy from Zechariah, who said, “Look, your king is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble and riding on a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9). Jesus is stepping into this role on purpose. Remember, during the Roman parades, the generals were riding warhorses, seemingly touting their power to anyone who happened to be watching. But riding into town on a donkey…this is a symbol of peace. This wasn’t just about transportation. It was a statement.

So as this is going on, it’s very likely Pilate, who is the Roman official in charge of the Judean region, would have been entering Jerusalem from the other side—on a warhorse, with Roman banners and soldiers for support. And he’s coming into town to keep order during Passover. So here we’ve got two processions: one of power and intimidation, the other of humility and peace. Jesus is offering a very different vision of what it means to be a king. This isn’t just a peaceful Sunday ride. It’s a public challenge to every assumption people had about power and the kingdom of God.

And so the crowd seems to be caught up in the moment. They have pretty grand expectations about what’s going on here. Like we said before, they’ve got their cloaks on the ground as a way of celebrating Jesus as King. And they think he’s coming to set things straight as it pertains to Roman oppression and to restore the kingdom of Israel. And Jesus is riding into the city like he’s the King. This is what they think they’ve been waiting for. And they’re crying out, “Hosanna!” Which means “Save us.” And this is where the tension develops. The people along the parade route have an idea of salvation that has been formed by politics and military might. But there are no weapons and there will be no vote.

Jesus knows he’s headed for the cross. He’s said as much during his recent teachings. He has not come to crush his enemies…but to carry their sin. And as we talked about last week, the disciples don’t even have a grasp on this quite yet. Let alone the people in the crowds. The misunderstanding is as real as the praise. This makes the moment feel electric. There’s singing and praising, and all kinds of good vibes going around. But to those few who have started to get a hold on what’s happening here, there’s a deep confusion, because Jesus is leading the charge straight into his own death.

The Pharisees are trying to shut this down. Either because they view it as blasphemous or because they are fearful that the Romans will see what’s happening as a threat. Either way, they just want it to stop. And they try to talk to Jesus about it and his response is that he cannot stop it because creation knows the significance of the moment is so profound that even the rocks will not stay silent. The Truth will not be suppressed. Justice will not be denied. The systems of power do not recognize the significance of this moment. The construct of a system of justice that holds people down instead of lifting them up cannot understand what’s happening. This is not just a moment of praise…it’s a confrontation meant to stir and awaken the masses to the glory and power of the Lord of creation through his son Jesus our King.

But as Andre 3000 said in Outkast’s song Hey Ya!...y’all don’t wanna hear me, you just wanna dance.

We live in a culture that knows how to celebrate winning. Just look at the grandstanding that takes place during presidential inaugurations. Super Bowl parades. And we do it in weird ways sometimes, I mean how many couches were burned in Columbus back in February when Ohio State won the National Championship. When our heroes meet our expectations, we know exactly how to celebrate. But what happens when they don’t.

People loved the idea of Jesus when they thought he was going to be a political war hero. But the tone is about to change quite dramatically. People hadn’t trained their hearts to accept a savior like Jesus. One who brings a kingdom of humility and peace in the face of overwhelming oppression and suffering. Teaching them to turn the other cheek. To be respected, but not to retaliate. They wanted the warhorse. They wanted the fanfare of a swift military victory. And part of me wonders if we are still looking for that in some ways. Instant results, triumphant victories, a pain-free and easy faith. And considering the crowd's expectations of Jesus, for me it’s a little bit like looking into a mirror sometimes.

The crowd praising Jesus in the Mount of Olives is not all that different from us. The Jesus they were cheering for was not going to meet their expectations of who they thought he should be. But we keep longing for this type of person to enter into our lives.

And that’s because we hope for deliverance in the same ways people have for generations. Whether it’s economic struggle, generational burdens, or health battles, there is just a long list of things going on in our lives we want fixed. I want those things too. And the thing we have to wrestle with is how we respond when our problems don’t go away. What happens when our timeline isn’t met? When his kingdom doesn’t provide the quick fixes we have deemed necessary? When healing takes longer than we want? Or when love means forgiveness instead of revenge? We have to reconcile with this tension between wanting salvation and being uncomfortable with the way Jesus brings it.

And that’s really what’s happening between the triumphal entry and the crucifixion of Jesus. By the end of the week most of the people who were singing his praises were calling for his head. But the people who got it, were living with the tension of seeing what was happening and knowing what was to come. That would’ve been incredibly painful. And quite honestly…it’s painful now. It’s my full conviction that as followers of Christ, we should feel a deep burden for the brokenness of the world around us. Things are not as they should be. And at least, for me, I want to be part of the solution for those things. And I think we need to model the life of Jesus more closely in order to get there. We can’t be the people who only celebrate during the parade. This is what Jesus means when he says in Luke 9:23, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”

With that in mind, I think there are three things we can focus on throughout the week to help us get there. The first thing is this, get in the parade…don’t just watch it.

We have two choices when it comes to this week. We can wave a palm branch or we can walk the road with Jesus. The crowd cheering for Jesus today will be the same ones throwing insults at him by week’s end. And if they’re not doing that, they will be silent at the very least. And it’s not because they’re evil, it’s because they’re expectations of the Messiah were not being met. Jesus came to suffer as a servant. And that’s the example he left for us through his teachings. It’s up to us to accept that reality and put our money where our mouth is and get off the curb and into the street.

I don’t feel like it’s a stretch to say all of us in this room are dealing with some type of problem. It could be big or it could be small. And here’s the thing, it’s easy to cheer for Jesus when things are going well. But how do we react when they are not? Do we still cling to him when our relationships gets hard? When the bank account is low? When we have a disagreement with a family member? When the news doesn’t change? Are we still willing to walk with Jesus when it all starts to fall apart?

The reality is we are called to be faithful even when things don’t seem to make any sense. Faithfulness looks like trusting Jesus even when we can’t understand the plan. Practically, that might look like going out to get help from someone to help your relationships thrive again. Or to help pull you out of toxic ones. It looks like stepping in to love someone deemed unlovable. It means reaching out to that family member and reconciling even if you’re not the one who did anything wrong. It looks like focusing more on loving the people around you than worrying about people you hear about on TV you’ve never met. And when you’re done, you might feel like you’ve got nothing left in the tank. That’s when you’ll know you’ve been practicing maintaining a faithful presence. Jesus has got enough fans, let’s be his disciples.

And continuing that thought, this is the second thing, but it’s really the same thing: don’t just show up for the parade. You may have heard this called “Holy Week.” This is an invitation for us to celebrate what Jesus is about to do for us on more than just one day. It’s important for us to experience this story in its fullness and not just sing Hosanna during church and call it a day. Know that Jesus was betrayed and that his followers felt a deep pain on Saturday when they didn’t know what was coming next. Think about what was going on in the garden, during the last supper, and all the events that are part of this week. It’s a great time to do it because we’re all doing it together.

Use this week as a chance to slow down and really process what it means to be a follower of Christ. Read through the final three chapters of Luke together as family. Journal your thoughts and prayers and maybe even take a walk and imagine what it would’ve been like to be living during that time as one of Jesus’ followers.

I can tell you the times I’ve done this with my own kids tend to be memorable. And like most families with a lot of things going on, those moments have happened less and less. But I miss those times. And with a daughter graduating high school and going off to college this year, with another one coming in behind her next year and the other one going into high school I’m counting the minutes because I know we are about to move on into another phase of life. So I’m committing to it this week as well. This matters to me and because it matters to me, I think it’s critical for my family to understand how people wrestled with this and are still wrestling with it.

This week invites us to spend time considering the suffering of Christ, not just to rush into the empty tomb. Learning about that suffering gives us the opportunity to see that Jesus made a way for us through the darkness and into the light.

And here’s the third thing: be honest about what you’re hoping for…and then ask God to reshape it. This series is called “The Hardest Part” and let me tell you…this is it. What’s beautiful, but also challenging about what’s going down on Palm Sunday is the people shouting praises and singing to Jesus really mean what they’re saying. They genuinely want to be delivered and they have a longing for salvation. But their understanding of how it was going to happen had been shaped by something other than their faith. If you are living in the world, it’s only natural to want things to be better. To want healing. To get answers. To desire change. The pull to want peace in our relationships, in our own minds, and in the world. Our hopes and dreams are no different than the ones in the crowd cheering. Those things are real. The difference is we give those things up to Jesus, who gently reframes them towards a deeper, eternal hope.

So whatever those things are for you, faithfully present them to God this week. And honestly ask him to reshape them for you.

You know roundabout 2008, I was pretty decimated spiritually. And we started going back to church again in March of 2009. And I remember being invited to a mens’ breakfast at Price Hill Chili, which was a chili parlor in the neighborhood where we lived in Cincinnati. And I only knew two of the eight guys who were attending this thing, but I went anyway…and over the course of the next three years, I started to see what faithfulness looked like. The guys in that group were from all different walks of life. Businessmen, retirees, pastors, college students, maintenance workers…and it was great.

Then a few of us branched off that breakfast and started meeting on Wednesday Nights, mostly at my friend Deryck’s house in Price Hill. That group turned into a similar group of guys who were just trying to figure it out. And the guys in that group have been through some divorce, some painful child rearing, working through some difficult interpersonal relationship things, job loss, loneliness, and one of the guys has moved out of the country and I moved up here, but we still connect with each other pretty regularly, and the guys who live in Cincinnati still get together almost every week. It’s been 15 years. And not all of us have the same level of faith, but when I think about Christian faithfulness, and what it means to be in community together, I think about this group of guys who continually try to be around each other just for the brotherhood of it all.

And the reason I’m telling you about this is because you don’t have to do this alone. This is a heavy week. And going into it by yourself is probably not the best idea. We were made to be in community and my experience leads me to believe this is best done in the company of others. So don’t be afraid to reach out to people. Check in on them. Share your story. Maybe you’re unsure about the next steps to take when it comes to calling that family member you haven’t talked to in awhile. Or you need some advice on how to deal with a difficult co-worker. Just get together with other people…

And when you do…My encouragement for us this week is to consider the type of kingdom Jesus was trying to build and to think about the ways we can participate to make it happen.

Let’s Pray.