Palm Sunday (B C P). Series

Matthew 21:1-13, Psalm 73:23-28, Zechariah 9:9-12, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 27:1-54.

A). THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY AND THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE.

Matthew 21:1-13.

Jesus approached Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover with His disciples - and to present Himself as the ultimate Passover lamb (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:7). Yet it has to be clear from the beginning that Jesus was coming as the rightful heir to David’s throne (cf. 1 Kings 1:33-39). In a deliberate act of providence (MATTHEW 21:1-3), Jesus entered Jerusalem in a manner which perfectly fulfilled Zechariah 9:9.

This was the ‘triumphant entry’ of Jesus into Jerusalem - upon a humble beast of burden. The city was abuzz with anticipation. Pontius Pilate was about the same time making his own entry into the city from the other direction - probably on a horse.

Those of us who have had the privilege of growing up in the Christian tradition will find this all very familiar. The events of Palm Sunday (as we call it) are recorded in all four Gospels. The donkey (and the colt); the disciples’ clothes to make Jesus comfortable; the crowds strewing their garments in the way; the waving of palm branches (MATTHEW 21:7-8).

The loud cries of “Hosanna” (save now!) - “Blessed is He that comes in the name of the LORD” (MATTHEW 21:9; cf. Psalm 118:25-26). Jesus would later warn Jerusalem: ‘You shall not see me henceforth until you say, Blessed is He that comes in the name of the LORD’ (cf. Matthew 23:39). This was because the enthusiastic singing of the Psalm on Palm Sunday had been from lips which would later cry, ‘Let Him be crucified’ (cf. Matthew 27:22).

It would be true to say that the very earth was groaning in anticipation of what was to come over the following week (cf. Romans 8:19-22). This would be evidenced in the seismic events which were soon to follow (cf. Matthew 27:51-54; Matthew 28:2-4) - but even now the spiritual realm was being shaken, as evidenced by the whole city (meaning the people in it) being “moved” by what occurred on Palm Sunday (MATTHEW 21:10).

Jesus, the meek “prophet of Nazareth in Galilee” (MATTHEW 21:11) has told us that ‘the meek’ shall inherit the earth (cf. Matthew 5:5). Yet we only inherit if we are found in Him.

Entering the Temple, Jesus found those who were selling sheep and oxen, and doves. Money-changers sat at tables exchanging foreign currencies for the Temple shekel. All this took place in the court of the Gentiles, thereby denying the nations a place to draw aside from the hubbub of their busy lives!

This was all taking place with the evident collusion of the priesthood. After all, (they probably reasoned) did not the people require animals for sacrifices, and money for the Temple tax? Jesus was disgusted to find such trading in His Father’s house, and He reacted accordingly.

If people had expected Jesus to come like Judas Maccabeus of old to purge the Jerusalem Temple of GENTILE pollution, they were sadly mistaken. What Jesus did do was to purge the ‘court of the Gentiles’ WITHIN the Jerusalem Temple of (presumably Jewish) sellers and buyers and money-changers (MATTHEW 21:12). According to Jesus, these were collectively changing God’s “house of prayer” (which was meant ‘for all nations’ cf. Isaiah 56:7; Mark 11:17) into a “den of thieves” (MATTHEW 21:13; cf. Jeremiah 7:11).

Jesus condescended to become man, was born in a stable, entered Jerusalem on a donkey, and washed His disciples’ feet. He took upon Himself the sins of the whole world - your sins and my sins - and died to procure our salvation.

‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus… who humbled Himself…’ (cf. Philippians 2:5-8).

B). THE GREAT NEVERTHELESS.

Psalm 73:23-28.

The Psalmist Asaph’s opening proposition is ‘Truly God is good to Israel’ (cf. Psalm 73:1). But then he goes on to admit that he had lost sight of this by allowing himself to become envious at the prosperity of the wicked, contrasting their apparent situation with his own (cf. Psalm 73:2-14). It was all too painful for him, UNTIL he went into the sanctuary of God and learned anew the true plight of the wicked, and realised how foolish he had been (cf. Psalm 73:15-22).

In the midst of his self-deprecation (cf. Psalm 73:21-22), Asaph suddenly realised the great “Nevertheless” (PSALM 73:23). Earlier he had said, ‘My feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped’ (cf. Psalm 73:2); but now he says, “NEVERTHELESS I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.” Though I had turned my back on God, our loving heavenly Father never loosened his grip upon me (cf. Psalm 37:24).

Having recognised that, the Psalmist is assured that the LORD will continue to “guide” him ever onward, even upward, to “glory” (PSALM 73:24; cf. Romans 8:30). As a certain hymn says, the LORD’s love is a ‘love that never lets me go’ (cf. John 10:28-29; Romans 8:35-39). Even when we falter and fail - and even backslide as Asaph had done - we are (nevertheless) ‘kept by the power of God’ (cf. 1 Peter 1:5).