HoHum:
Ever played the game where go up behind someone and cover their eyes with our hands and ask, “Quess who I am?”
WBTU:
Read Matthew 21:7-10
When Jesus came that Palm Sunday, he seems to be playing a game, "Guess who I am." Vs. 10- Who is this?
I believe this question helps us understand the fickle reactions of the people present at that first Palm Sunday. The most obvious question from Palm Sunday is, "How could the same people who yelled, 'Hosanna!' on Sunday turn around and yell 'Crucify Him!' on Friday?" The cheers turned into jeers in an alarmingly short time.
How do we solve this mystery? I think we solve it by looking at how the people responded that that question, "Who is this?" Everybody was looking for something different in Jesus, and most were disappointed in who he really was.
Thesis: Who was Jesus for...
For instances:
Who was Jesus for the crowds?
They wanted a Miracle Jesus. They probably loved the fact that he taught in parables that were easier to understand than the obscure reasoning they heard from the Pharisees. They were attracted to him because he was a vigorous, dynamic leader. They liked it when he put the Pharisees in their place. But of all the qualities of Jesus that the crowds loved, they loved him best as a miracle man. The crowds thronged around him when they saw him healing the lame, the blind and the sick. And they clamored for more.
“Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.” Luke 11:16, NIV. And they must have been especially disappointed on the seven occasions in the Gospel of Mark when Jesus performed a miracle, then told them to tell no one about it. The crowds wanted a Miracle Jesus, but he disappointed them.
Who was Jesus for the Pharisees?
They wanted a Ritual Jesus. They thought the most important matter of religion was to be found, not in how they believed or prayed, but in how they dressed and washed and ate. Their greatest fear was that their whole culture would be absorbed into the culture of the Hellenistic world. So they emphasized the thousand little details that kept them distinctly Jewish. These every day rituals were the way they could keep themselves pure and unique. But Jesus came preaching that the real way to God was through having faith in God and maintaining a high ethical standard. In fact, Jesus often broke the rules that the Pharisees had set up. He broke their laws for the Sabbath, ate with the unclean, and defied their laws of purification. The Pharisees wanted a Ritual Jesus, but he disappointed them.
Who was Jesus for the Zealots?
They wanted a Military Jesus. The Zealots were the radical nationalists who were ready to use force, even terrorism, to overthrow the oppressive hand of the Roman government. One of Jesus disciples was called Simon the Zealot. The Jewish patriots were always on the edge of rebellion. These followers expected Jesus to take up a sword and call his followers to arms at any moment. They clearly wanted Jesus to be the leader of their resistance movement. When Jesus came to Jerusalem and cleansed the Temple by force, they must have whispered to one another to gather the troops.
In Luke's description of this time, he observes, “While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.” Luke 19:11, NIV. But Jesus said to "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s." He said, ““All who draw the sword will die by the sword.” Matthew 26:52, NIV. The Zealots wanted a Military Jesus, but He disappointed them.
Who was Jesus for the Disciples?
They wanted a Victorious Jesus. They began following Jesus when the crowds were thronging around him. Their heads were full of self-seeking dreams. They wondered aloud which of them would be allowed to sit at his right hand when he came into his kingdom. They were thinking of the prizes, not the costs. It must have been a heady time to be one of the chosen twelve. These men were the true believers. Simon Peter spoke for them all when he boldly proclaimed at Caesarea Philippi, "Thou are the Christ!" They expected Jesus to be accepted quickly by every Jewish person. He would be greater than David. But Jesus kept up his negative talk about his death. He kept hinting that persecution would be their lot, not glory. Jesus vision was of a Suffering Servant. And he made clear that following him meant taking up a cross. The Disciples wanted a victorious Messiah, but Jesus disappointed them.
So What?
All of these different groups were in the crowd that first Palm Sunday, each with their own private view of Jesus. As they waved the palm branches and shouted, "Hosanna," they thought they were finally getting what they wanted.
The crowds assumed that he would do even more miracles in Jerusalem than he had in Galilee, and the coming days would be filled with massive crowds and a frenzy of miracles.
The Pharisees had already decided that Jesus wasn't to their liking. They floated on the edges of the crowd trying to catch him in a misstep so they could turn the crowds against him. The crowd at his trials were influenced by them: “But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.” Matthew 27:20, NIV.
The Zealots were thrilled that Jesus was finally bringing the revolution to the seat of Roman power in Jerusalem. When he spoke this way they grew disillusioned: “Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”” John 18:36, NIV.
The Disciples expected this to be their greatest week of popularity and glory. But the expectations of all these groups were quickly dashed as the week progressed.
When we look closely at the dynamics of that Palm Sunday, we are not really surprised at the Friday outcome. On the surface, it seems like the Triumphal Entry was a grand celebration, but underneath we find the seeds of the crucifixion lying among the palms.
Fred Craddock says the Triumphal Entry was a parade, a protest and a funeral procession. We can envision a parade with the throngs shouting their praises as Jesus slowly rides into Jerusalem. Perhaps we could understand this event as a protest. But most importantly, it was also a funeral procession. Jesus knew that this was the beginning of the end.
Palm Sunday was a funeral procession. Jesus knew the cheering would stop very soon.
On Sunday they shouted, "Hosanna," and treated him like the King of the Jews. On Friday, they hung him on a cross and put up a sign saying, "The King of the Jews."
The real meaning of Palm Sunday for us can be found in that same question I asked about each of the groups, "Who is this? Who was Jesus?" Perhaps the most important question in life is the one the people asked in our passage, "Who is this?
Do we want a Miracle Jesus or Ritual Jesus? Do we want a Military Jesus or a Victorious Jesus?
Phillip Yancey begins his book entitled, The Jesus I Never Knew, by saying, "I first got acquainted with Jesus when I was a child, singing 'Jesus Loves Me' in Sunday school, addressing bedtime prayers to 'Dear Lord Jesus,' watching Bible club teachers move cutout figures across a flannel graph board. I associated Jesus with Kool-Aid and sugar cookies and gold stars for good attendance." This Jesus, he said, was a lot like Mr. Rogers.
Who is this? Mr. Rogers?
When Yancey began to watch films about Jesus, he found that the actors often portrayed Him in stereotypical, serene fashion. Yancey says, "In older Hollywood films about Jesus, he recites his lines evenly and without emotion. He strides through life as the one calm character among a cast of flustered extras. Nothing rattles him. He dispenses wisdom in flat, measured tones. He is, in short, the Prozac Jesus" (The Jesus I Never Knew, p. 88).
Who is this? Mr. Rogers? Prozac Jesus?
In the 1960s movie Cool Hand Luke, Paul Newman sings the song "Plastic Jesus," which says:
"Well, I don't care if it rains or freezes,Long as I have my plastic Jesus Riding on the dashboard of my car I could go a hundred miles an hour Long as I got the Almighty Power Glued up there with my fuzzy dice."
Who is this? Mr. Rogers? Prozac Jesus? Plastic Jesus?
Who is this? Do we worship the plastic Jesus or the Prozac Jesus? Or do we want a Mr. Rogers kind of Jesus so that he will not be a threat to us? The problem with all these versions of Jesus is that he is so much more. Jesus always has challenged people's misperceptions of him.
If we are looking for any of those, we will be disappointed too. But note that the reason we are disappointed is that we are looking for the wrong kind of Jesus.
A friend told me of something she heard on the radio. Each time one lady discovers someone claiming to be an atheist, she responds, "Tell me about the God you don't believe in." And when they do, she usually observes, "I don't think I would like that kind of God either." Our disappointments in God usually come from a wrong view of God.
The same thing can be said of Jesus. All these people looked for the wrong thing in Jesus and were disappointed. But when we really see Jesus, the real item, we will be amazed and certainly not disappointed at what we find.
Jesus had already played the identity game with the Disciples at Caesarea Philippi when he asked, "Who do men say that I am?" They responded that some folks think he is John the Baptist. Others say Elijah the prophet. Some say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
Then Jesus asks the most pertinent question, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter blurts out, "You are the Christ, the son of the living God."
The writers of the New Testament were so taken by Jesus that they could not say enough positive about him. The writer of Colossians says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fulness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:15-20, NIV.
The writer of Hebrews says, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3, NIV.
Who is Jesus for us? Are we looking for a Savior? The real meaning of Jesus’ life and death and resurrection, is that he came and died for us. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
It really doesn't matter what the crowds were looking for. It doesn't matter what the Pharisees or the Zealots or the Disciples were looking for. The real meaning of Palm Sunday is between us and God. What kind of Jesus are we looking for? We still ask the question, "Who is this?" And our answer makes all the difference.
