Just before Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, He told a parable about a nobleman who was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. But his people hated him and said, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’ It seems, Jesus knew there were many people in Jerusalem who would not accept Him as the true Lord. They would cheer for Him, but they would misunderstand Him. And when He didn’t live up to their expectations, they would crucify Him. Luke 19:28-35
28 After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. 29 As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. 30 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
32
So they went and found the colt, just as
Jesus had said. 33 And sure enough, as they were untying it,
the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?”
34
And the disciples simply replied, “The
Lord needs it.” 35 So they brought the colt to Jesus and
threw their garments over it for him to ride on.
I want to pause here and point out a contrast we see. There were two parades that happened that week. The one not in Scripture, but known from history, is Pilates parade. It was customary for the Romans to have a parade during religious festival times like the Passover. This was a show of force that reminded the zealous Jewish crowds who was in charge. It showcased Roman power with the obvious insinuation, "Don't forget, we are in control. If you step out of line, we will put you back in your place by force." Jesus rode on a donkey, but Pilate rode on a war horse, surrounded by armored soldiers and chariots. Donkey's aren't rode into battle. They're small and slow. When a Jewish king came to a city in peace, he rode a donkey as a sign, because no one rides a donkey into battle. They ride a war horse. But Jesus came to Jerusalem in peace, on a donkey, to offer God's peace to Jerusalem. That stands in stark contrast to the mighty and intimidating war horse of Pilate and the Romans.
Luke 19:36-40
36 As he rode along, the crowds spread out
their garments on the road ahead of him. 37 When he reached
the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers
began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the
wonderful miracles they had seen.
38
“Blessings on the King who comes in the
name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven, and
glory in highest heaven!”[c]
39
But some of the Pharisees among the crowd
said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”
40
He replied, “If they kept quiet, the
stones along the road would burst into cheers!”
You may have missed it. The Gospel of Luke doesn’t mention the use of palm branches on “Palm” Sunday for Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John all say the crowds had leafy branches or palm branches, but Luke focuses on how the crowd spread out their garments on the road ahead of Jesus.
Spreading your garments over the path of your king was an important symbolic act.
In 2 Kings 9:13, people spread their cloaks in
front of Jehu when was anointed the next king of Israel. It was a common practice in many ancient
Middle Eastern cultures. It was a way to
say,
“We will lay down our lives for you, our king.”
It’s a symbol of total submission; sort of like, “We submit to you
completely. You can walk all over us if
you want. You are our king.”
And so the people in Jerusalem say this of Jesus. “We submit. You are our king!”
But for many in Jerusalem, their submission was not unconditional. It came with expectations. They quote from Psalm 118:25 “Please, Lord, please save us!” Which is the Hebrew expression “Hosanna!” It literally means, “Save us now!”
But, save
us from what?
Try to imagine with me, who might be there in that crowd shouting hosanna.
The Overburdened Farmer
He
has worked hard his whole life, but Roman taxes take most of what he earns. He
can barely provide for his family, and every year feels harder than the
last. “Hosanna! Save us now!” He wants a Messiah who will drive out
Rome and make life easier, not one who calls him to surrender his heart.
The Zealous Nationalist
He
dreams of Israel being strong again like in the days of David. He’s angry,
tired of foreign rule, and ready for a revolution. “Hosanna! Save us now!” He wants a Messiah who will fight
his enemies, not one who tells him to love them.
The Religious Insider
He
faithfully works in the Temple and follows all the traditions. He takes pride
in his knowledge and his place in the religious community. “Hosanna! Save us now!” He wants a Messiah who will affirm his
system, not one who exposes his heart.
The Weary Father
He is trying to hold his family
together in a world that feels unstable and unsafe. He wants security, peace,
and a future for his children. “Hosanna!
Save us now!” He wants a Messiah who will fix his circumstances, not
one who asks him to trust God no matter what.
The Successful Merchant
His business is doing well, and he
enjoys a comfortable life. Still, he worries about instability and wants
protection for what he’s built. “Hosanna!
Save us now!” He wants a Messiah who will secure his
success, not one who might ask him to loosen his grip on it.
The Quietly Numb Believer
He
still shows up. He still goes through the motions. But somewhere along the way,
his passion has faded and his faith has grown cold. “Hosanna! Save us now!” He wants a
Messiah who will comfort him where he is, not one who calls him back to
wholehearted devotion.
They all shouted the same words, but they were not all asking for the same kind of salvation.
Perhaps you can imagine yourself in that crowd–waving palm branches, spreading your cloak on the ground in front of Jesus as a sign of submission and allegiance. We all want solutions to our problems. Stress and anxiety, financial pressure, health problems, broken relationships, loneliness, guilt and shame, addiction, uncertainty about the future, lack of purpose, loss and grief… It would be great if Jesus would deliver us now and on our own terms.
Jesus brings the answers—but not according to our plans or expectations. He brings them on His terms. He is Lord. And when we surrender, we experience His Kingdom. We find peace, even when life in this world is still hard. And we hope that we will be made right with God and, ultimately, every broken part of our world will be made right too.
But
many in that crowd chanting hosanna were not ready to truly welcome the
Messiah.
Within a week, many would chant “Crucify Him!” and “We have no king but Caesar!”
And so, Jesus enters Jerusalem and weeps in Luke 19:42-44, “42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. 43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.[d]”
The crowd laid down their cloaks and shouted, “Hosanna!” But many were not ready to let Jesus truly be their King. The question for us today as we clos is not what the crowd did, but it’s "what we will do." Will we welcome Jesus as He is? Or only as we want Him to be?
How will you respond to Jesus today?
