Lessons from Palm Sunday
As far as the written literature of the Christian world is concerned, somehow there appears to be a disturbing “calm” about “Palm” Sunday (one of the landmark events in the Saviour’s life) with not too many articles abounding in relation to the same. Ditto the same with the Ascension Day and the Day of Pentecost. Somehow in the Contemporary Church these two momentous events’ do not seem to be given the due significance attached to other milestone events in our Saviour’s life like Christmas, Good Friday and Easter.
In this message laced with alliteration (sub-headings beginning with the letter “P” as the word “Palm” also begins with “P”) Yours Truly feels challenged to present the significance of Palm Sunday to his readership by using the following sub-headings.
Period....
Our Lord who is scripturally called the Almighty’s Pascal Lamb (1 Cor 5:7) had said that He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfil it (Matt 5:17). . As Jesus had fulfilled the Law in every respect, it is not binding on us who follow Him in faith to observe the Law in toto (Acts 15:1-35).
Now coming back to the Saviour...as per the Jewish Law if the Pascal Lamb whose blood would save the Lord’s chosen ones’ from His wrath had to be brought to the Jewish home 4 days before its eventual slaying (Exodus 12:1-6), it follows that the Divine Pascal Lamb also would enter Jerusalem the “home” (Psalm 132:13-14) of it’s “Divine Owner”, exactly 4 days before it’s propitiatory death (1 Thess 1:10 TLB). Mind you this “4th day” for the Jews would begin precisely from the evening of the previous day of our calendars(6pm) and would end by the evening of the next day (exactly 24 hours)...so folks the atoning death of our Lord at 3 pm on “Good Friday” was not on the “fifth” day after entering His Father’s Home but at a time which was very much the part of the “fourth” day (John 18:28). Folks for the traditional Jews (especially the Southern ones’), the day starts from the evening (Gen 1:5), unlike the rest of the World for which the days starts from sunrise!!!
Prophecy...
If milestone events amongst others’ in our Redeemer’s life such as His virgin birth at Bethlehem, crucifixion on the Cross, resurrection, ascention were all prophesied (Isa 7:14/ Micah 5:2/ Psa 22 /Psa 16:10/ Psa 68:18), then what would make us think that the incidents’ which were central to the event as significant as Palm Sunday such as His arrival into God’s home (also City- Psalm148:1-3) and it’s subsequent purification fuelled by His righteous indignation would not be prophesied? Let the Scripture take over at this stage...firstly the Prophecy about His arrival...
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.- Zech 9:9
Then the one on His righteous indignation which propelled Him to undertake impromptu cleansing of the Temple
For zeal for your house has consumed me... Psa 69:9
While on the subject, we may now take the loopline (permit me to use some of the Railways-related terminology) to cast spotlight on the subject “Why Prophecies”. Remember on His single, singular life depended the very salvation of Mankind. So the Almighty God did not want any rationalist to attribute His unique life, death and resurrection to a mere accident or coincidence. Let me illustrate with a Railways related incident (sic). I had a bosom buddy by name Anandeep in my school and Junior college days. After I accepted the Lord in my Junior college days, I was particularly guilty of never having shared the Gospel “full-throttle” with him. After passing out of Junior college, we pursued different fields in education as such we almost lost completely touch with each other. With passage of time, having grown more in the Lord there was that ever-growing burning desire in my heart to share the Gospel with an old mate of my alma mater. Oh how I wanted to share about the NEW joys (I was growing spiritually, you see) of the walking with the good Lord, with the chum, I had shared so many childhood joys! So I prayed fervently about it. Some years later, when I was travelling in a train in the evening hours (Rayalaseema Express to be precise, which plies between Hyderabad and Thirupathi in Andra Pradesh) I DID MEET my friend. That night, I shared the Gospel with all my heart, soul and might. I profusely thanked the Lord for all the happy time I had in my journey with my friend and the opportunity to share the Gospel with him, what with others in the compartment listening too! Look at the Lord’s providence! May be, if I had met good ole’ Anandeep in a busy bazaar, he may not have listened to me so patiently. Boy, when the good Lord answers our prayers, He does it in the best way possible! Of course my rationalist friends would doubtless attribute this fulfilling experience of mine to an accident or a coincidence. Not for them a belief that my “train encounter” was a result of passionate prayers. Now consider for a moment…if everything about my travel on that particular day when I met my old pal had been foretold by way of writing in a certain book, would they still put it down to an accident or a coincidence? NO WAY! Ditto the same about Christ’s life…it was not by chance that everything happened in his first coming, the way it did rather behind everything that transpired in his life was the Almighty’s will! Hmmmm...didn’t one wise affirm “Prophecy is nothing but history written in advance”.
Puzzle...
Tempering Matthew’s “puzzling” account of Jesus riding on 2 Donkeys’ with the other Gospels’ which state that He rode on a single Donkey, some of the Bible commentators with conviction (and rightly at that) state that while Jesus rode on a Donkey’s colt (Junior) into Jerusalem...the “Senior” Donkey followed right behind albeit “rider less”. The ‘Junior’ Donkey reason the seasoned Scholars represents the Church (was born 1500 years after Judaism was established) which accepted Christ and the rider less “Senior” one, Judaism which rejected Christ. And I for one do not want to argue with them on this score considering that the “Juniors” have always Biblically been more God-honoring than the “Seniors”!!! Well, well...do you want me to start from Abel-Cain, go through Issac-Ishmael, Jacob-Esau to finally Ephrahim-Mannasseh stories to underscore my point (Sic)!!!
Peace...
Culturally and socially during Biblical times, a King astride a Donkey symbolized the “peace mission” whereas the one riding on a horse symbolized “war”. The “peace” mission of Christ which would be accomplished 4 days later on the Cross, would pave the way for a peaceful reconciliation between not only Holy God and unholy man (2 Cor 5:21/ 1 Tim 2:5) but also between Jews and Gentiles (Eph 2:14-19) and the physically impaired and the healthy ones’ who would all be now one in Christ (Isa 56:3-7/ Acts 8:26-40).
Pitfalls...
Say Preacher is your popularity soaring? What better time than now to recall the wise words of Sadhu Sundar Singh especially in the context of all the unexpected popularity which came the way of the unsuspecting “Little Donkey” on this momentous occasion. I am quoting his words verbatim here below...
When Jesus entered Jerusalem the people spread their clothes in the way and strewed branches before Him in order to do Him honour. Jesus rode upon an ass, according to the word of the prophet. His feet did not touch the road which was decorated in His honour. It was the ass which trod upon the garments and the branches. But the ass would have been very foolish to have been uplifted on that account; for the road really was not decked in its honour! It would be just as foolish if those who bear Christ to men were to think anything of themselves because of what men do to them for the sake of Jesus.
Doubtless, these words, need to be not so much inked as engraved in the hearts and minds of every servant of God. It would serve every servant of the Master well to remember that he is being respected not because of his profession but because of his association with the Master’s work. Look at Apostle Paul’s self-worded “score-card” of His Ministry “For I am the least of all the apostles… it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.” (I Cor 15:9,10)
Take heed, Messenger of the God’s word! With popularity come some pitfalls too. Next time, people pat you on your back for your “marvellous sermon” praise God for placing the message in your heart counting you worthy of taking it to the World…otherwise, you would well end up making an ass of yourself (sic)! The words of John the Baptist “He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:30 - though quoted by that great Saint in a different context) ought to be the “watchword” for every Servant of God at all times.
While on the subject, it would not be out of place to muse on yet another simple yet profound truth. Wasn’t the Donkey which carried Jesus to Jerusalem first “untied” and then only “used” for His glory? How true in a Christian’s life too! First one has to be “set free” from the chains of sin before he/she is put into “service” of being “a Carrier” (read Witness) of one’s own testimony and the Gospel to the outside, watching World (Acts 8:25).
Purpose...
Now why did Hosannas’ rent the air on the First Palm Sunday? The word hosanna comes from a Hebrew word meaning “save now” or “save us, we pray.” The first word of Psalm 118:25 is howosiah-na, translated “Save us!” From what did the Jews seek deliverance? Obviously from the Roman rule! Jews looked upon Jesus as their Freedom-fighter, the One who would wield a sword and use His miraculous powers to liberate them from the Roman tyranny but their hopes were dashed as Jesus without as much as lifting even a little finger against the Romans focused more on His spiritual mission of liberating people from the tyranny of much more dangerous rule…SIN. More than ruling from a throne in Jerusalem, Jesus’ I Coming was all about ruling in the hearts of men! No wonder, with their expectations belied, when Jesus’ enemies ( jealous, insecure the religious hierarchy of that time) sought public support for His crucifixion before Pontius Pilate, the very same people who yelled Hosanna now shouted “crucify Him” (Matt 27:11-23). Talk of U-turns for worse...
Pray, tell me Dear Reader why you are following Christ...for earthly gains or eternal benefits? Yes, He would provide for our needs as per His promise (Matt 6:33), however our primary focus ought to be on “that which is above” (Col 3:1-2/ Phil 3:20-21).
Provenance...
Now what propelled Jesus to “cleanse the temple off its crass commerce?” Righteous indignation which is not to be mistaken for crude and rude anger!!! What then is the difference between “anger” and “Righteous indignation”? One has to look at its provenace (read source or origin) to discern the truth. While anger is an emotional outburst against injustice meted out to self, Righteous indignation on the other hand is an outrage expressed at those wilfully dishonouring God’s Holy Name.
Jesus wouldn’t be provoked to anger when insults were hurled at Him personally in the Cross but covenanted ones’ caring a hoot for God’s Holy Name bore the brunt of His Holy fury. Do not we see Righteous indignation in “3 prominent Ps’” of the Bible also? Phinehas (Numbers 25:1-8), Peter ( Acts 5:1-11) and Paul (1 Cor 6:5) for you...Ladies and Gentlemen!!!
As God’s covenanted people, while we may not have the full rights to express righteous indignation on “outsiders” on matters of “Holy Living”, certainly it is our bounden duty to show righteous indignation on our “brethren” who with their immoral lifestyle would be tarnishing the fair reputation of our Redeemer (I Cor 5).
Portend...
Jesus act of “cleansing” the Temple also in a way portends His Second Coming (7 years after the Rapture of the Church) when He would come not riding humbly on a donkey but gloriously on a horse (Rev 19:11-21) to wage war and cleanse much of the filth of the World created by two of Satans’ agents namely the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet.
Dear Reader on a Palm Sunday or any occasion when you read this article it would serve you well to pray thus...Come Lord Jesus...firstly into my life, cleanse me of all the moral filth and then rule unopposed seated in the throne of my heart...
Yours in His service,
Suresh Manoharan
An Unworthy Servant
