Victory!

Palm Sunday, the glorious entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the final week of His earthly life and ministry. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a colt, and the masses are going crazy. Can you see it? Christian movies have tried to capture the scene, but I don’t think they ever get it quite right. There is bedlam in the streets as the Messiah is coming into the city, expectations are through the roof, His reputation has preceded Him. This of course was not His first visit to Jerusalem, as He had spent time in the city before, including His trashing of the Temple which He was about to repeat this week as well. He had healed many in the city, and again in His three-year ministry all over the area. He had cast out demons (Legion into the pigs, the man in the temple in Capernaum, the boy with convulsions, the woman with the disabling Spirit to name a few), did miraculous healings (Simon’s mother-in-law, cleansed lepers, healed paralytics both by the pool and the gentleman dropped through Peter’s roof, healed the withered hand, raised Lazarus, the widow’s son and Jairus’s daughter from the dead, healed the Centurion’s servant, healed the woman that bled for 12 years, the man with dropsy, the blind beggar in Jericho, and again many more). He taught with authority (Capernaum, Nazareth, ministered to multitudes, forgave sins). He accomplished “cool” things (fishing until the nets were breaking, calmed a storm, fed upwards of 15000 with a couple of loaves and a few small fish, with leftovers not once, but twice!) He was transfigured on a mountain, and prophesied His death, the destruction of the Temple, of wars and persecution, the destruction of Jerusalem, and made the religious establishment very, very nervous.

As it says in John 12:13, the people took palm branches and went out to meet Jesus as He was entering the city. They were calling out to Him “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” This was not good news for the Sanhedrin, not out of worry for what Jesus was going to do, but for fear of the Roman authorities. You see, the Palm branches in this time symbolized victory. The Jews were frantic and excited by the prospect that Jesus was making a triumphal entry into the city to over-throw the Romans and establish His earthly kingdom. This is essentially the same as poking a stick into a hornet’s nest. The Romans knew full-well what the branches meant, which no doubt would bring the wrath of the Roman government upon the people. The Sanhedrin would lose control of Jerusalem, along with all the perks that went with the position. This type of entry and the response by the people sealed the resolve of the Sanhedrin to eliminate Jesus once and for all. Little did they know! Jesus was going to be victorious over death by His death on the cross, and the resurrection to follow! You’ll notice that you too have palms that you carry everywhere, one on your left, and one on your right. Feel free this week to raise your palms in victory over death! And thank the Lord our God for His great sacrifice that He made for us.