Christ rides into Jerusalem on a colt that has never before been ridden. The King of Israel making His entry in the most humble of manner. He had been performing miracles and teachings of God’s love. He knew He needed to continue in love, even though the greatest of all evils was about to be enacted on Him.
The crowds cheered, having seen the resurrection of Lazurus and many other miracles he performed. They had been given a glimpse into a love and power nothing like they had ever known before, something they knew was divine. They laid their cloaks and branches they had cut from palm tress on the ground to cover His path. They cried out in love and honor to the,
“King of Israel”.
John 12:13
They acknowledged Christ was sent by the Lord and they gave all honor and glory to Christ our Lord. they knew they were in the presence of the divine and they Welcomed Him Joyfully!!
There were other activities that took place that day that were not so joyous. The temple, the sacred place of worship had become a marketplace of sin. For the sake of convenience, markets grew up at the temple where live stock was bought and sold for offerings, money changed hands with unfair scales and in some cases, priests who were to teach against sin actually encouraged it so they and their families could eat better meals from greater and more choice meats sacrificed to atone for sin. Something good, a temple to worship, pray and praise God, had become a “den of iniquity,” a place of complete corruption. Jesus called out this corrupt network when He went to the temple and overturned the marketplace tables. The temple was intended as a house of prayer, to honor and worship God and He was calling for it to be restored to that state. It was a great display of disgust, but He was the Son of God and the time was growing near for all to understood that fact.
The third element was the Pharisees. They had allowed and even encouraged this corrupt network to develop. They used it to control the people, by controlling their access to God and forgiveness. They had been rulers of the land and at a time when most people feared God, the Pharisees and scribes were considered to be the ones closest to the knowledge and understanding of God. This of course was until Jesus came along.
Jesus represented and displayed the opportunity for an individual relationship with God. No longer were people required to go through a middleman to get to Jesus and God. Jesus came to earth for everyone and He displayed that by dining and spending time with those who were considered to lowest members of society. The Pharisees were losing control over the people and they saw it happening.
“. . . Look, the world has gone after him”
John 12:19
The Pharisees knew their days were numbered and so,
“. . .The chief priests, the scribes and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him.”
Luke 19:47
This is how it was on the first Palm Sunday. Christ rides in on a colt, with the crowds screaming of His glory and worshipping the Lord for sending Him. The marketplace is filled with corruption and Jesus calls it out in a grand way. The Pharisees who have been in control seek to justify killing Jesus, something they believe will keep them in control. Little do the Pharisees know what is to come!
Prayer: Thank you Lord for the readers of this message and a joyous Palm Sunday! We pray you will be with us and guide us as we move through Holy Week, to the crucifixion on Good Friday and the resurrection on Easter. We pray you will help us all grow in wisdom and a deeper knowledge of you and your ways, during this divine season. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
Footnote: All scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright 1989, Published by Zondervan
Originally Published: 3/28/21