Jesus Does the Unexpected

Great Expectations

Have you ever had great expectation for something or someone, that were never met? How did you respond when those expectations weren’t met?

Palm Sunday for me serves as a reminder of the great expectations many in Jerusalem had when Jesus rode in on a donkey. Over the course the next week Jesus will fail to meet their great expectations, as many who hail him King today, will desert him, betray him, and even deny him. The loud Hosanna shouts will be replaced with shouts of crucify him crucify him. Jesus enters Jerusalem to do the unexpected.

Jesus from his birth til now has done the unexpected. At the start of his public ministry someone asks the question what good can come out of Nazareth? He does the unexpected when he eats with tax collectors and sinners. He even does the unexpected when he heals on the sabbath. Throughout the Gospels we see people’s reaction when Jesus does the unexpected.

As Jesus the Messiah enters Jerusalem and once again does the unexpected, how do we respond when Jesus doesn’t do what we expect him to do? Do we continue to follow? Do we desert or deny him? Do we betray him by how we live? God through Christ does the unexpected. Let’s have the same mindset of Christ and be faithful even to the point of death.

A Tale of Two Kingdoms

Zechariah 9:9–10 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. 10 He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

The expectations of the people from Jesus the Messiah, can be better understood as a tale of two kingdoms. Spiritual vs Physical/political.

At the time of Jesus triumphal entry people were traveling up to Jerusalem for their passover celebration. A time to remember how God delivered from the oppression of slavery in Egypt and gave them a new Identity.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year C, Volume 2 Exegetical Perspective

liberation and identity. If asked, “Who are you?” Israelites might say, “God brought us out of the land of bondage.” Is this what Jesus accomplishes—liberation and identity for the children of God?

Israel under Roman occupation and Roman rule were suffering from new kind of oppression. Many, had the expectation of Jesus their Messiah to overthrow Roman rule and establish his Physical/political Kingdom here and now. Jesus didn’t meet their expectations.

In preparation for passover there were two processions heading towards Jerusalem. One from the west and one from the east.

From the west came Pilate battle ready. Him and his troops marching to Jerusalem on horses (animal of battle), ready to squash any insurrection. He came with force to keep the Pax Romana. This is the physical/political kingdom of Jesus day. Peace of Rome was kept by force.

From the east a commoners procession , Jesus is coming in ordinary dress, with his disciples raising shouts of praise for the many miracles they have seen him do. Jesus comes humble and riding on a donkey. Rejoice greatly Jerusalem behold your king comes humble and riding on a donkey (an animal of peace).

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year C, Volume 2 Homiletical Perspective

Caesar’s kingdom is based on domination and ruthless power, the kind of kingship Jesus refused when tempted in the wilderness. The kingdom of God Jesus preached is based on justice, mercy, and the love of God (Luke 11:42 and Matt. 23:23). So we have our choice: Pax Christi or Pax Romana.

Jesus Does the Unexpected

Jesus could tell as he made his way to Jerusalem, that the people were beginning to have the wrong impression, or the wrong expectations. He tells the parable of the 10 servants to correct the impression that the physical kingdom of God would begin right away. The people began to expect Jesus the Messiah to over throw Rome and establish his Kingdom. Instead Jesus goes to the Temple and overthrows tables. Jesus does the unexpected.

As Jesus rides to Jerusalem all of his followers began shouting and praising God for everything they saw him do.

To shout blessings on the King who comes in the name of the LORD! was a political statement that would get people’s attention. It got the attention of some of the Pharisees who asked Jesus to rebuke his followers.

In their shouts of praise did his followers miss the point of the parable of the 10 servants? Did they still expect Jesus to march into Jerusalem, to overthrow the Roman government and establish his phyisical/political Kingdom now? To see their responses of desertion, denying, betraying and some even possibly joining with the crowd in shouts of crucify him, crucify him, the answer is yes they did.

Jesus is riding into Jerusalem to establish his Kingdom but this Kingdom is not of this world.

John 18:33–36 NRSV

33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” 35 Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

Too often the disciples and even we ourselves think physical when we should be thinking spiritual. Jesus rides into Jerusalem today, to lay down his life for you and for me. He rides into Jerusalem so the gates of the Kingdom of God would be open to all who choose to follow Christ.

King Jesus rides to Jerusalem to liberate his people once again. This time not from slavery in Egypt but from slavery to sin and death. Through Christ’s triumphal entry we can make our triumphal entry and have a new identity as children of God. We eagerly wait for that day when God’s physical Kingdom is established here on earth.

Revelation 21:1–7 NRSV

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” 5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

Until that day comes we can expect God to continue to do the unexpected. Will we trust and follow him as Jesus did even to the point of death?