“Everyone Loves a Parade”
Mark 11:1-10
Everybody remembers that day!
It was a joyful and glorious day.
It was a time of excitement, optimism, and renewed national pride for the Israelites.
What started with a handful of disciples offering their praise to God turned into a citywide celebration!!!
And if we think about it, we can appreciate why.
After all, the people of Jerusalem had been waiting for something like this for a long time!!!
Their hope was that Jesus would launch a revolution against the Romans and free the Holy city from Roman occupation.
Still, if the truth be told, all of their hosannas couldn’t hide the fact that Jesus was not quite what they expected Him to be.
Most conquering Kings ride into town on a White Stallion—ready for war.
Jesus came on this little colt of a donkey that almost left His feet dragging on the ground.
Plus there was no sword in His hand nor any weapon attached to His saddle.
In fact, Jesus doesn’t even have a saddle, only someone’s old overcoat.
As we watch Jesus entering Jerusalem with friends and followers waving palms, not swords, we see into the heart of God.
And at least one thing is clear: Jesus doesn’t come to us on our terms.
Jesus comes on God’s terms.
Yet, He comes.
The people wanted a prophet, but this Prophet would tell them that their city was under God’s imminent judgment.
The people wanted a Messiah, but Jesus—the Messiah--was about to be enthroned on a horrible, bloody Cross.
The people wanted to be rescued from evil and oppression, and Jesus was going to rescue them from evil…
…but from evil in its fullest depths, not just the surface evil that they could see.
Those who believed in Christ would have their hearts changed inwardly not necessarily their outward situations.
The story of Jesus’ grand, but surprising entry into Jerusalem is a great lesson in the mismatch between our expectations and God’s answer!!!
The crowds wanted Jesus to conquer in the worldly way.
Jesus would conquer through serving, loving and laying down His life to save those who will believe.
The “Hosannas” of Palm Sunday were justified, but not for the reasons the people had supposed.
And to learn this lesson is to take huge steps towards wisdom and humility and genuine Christian faith!!!
Jesus comes as our King to bring salvation, but salvation means much more than relief from an oppressive government.
Jesus comes to free us from ourselves!!!
Jesus comes to free us from self-hatred and selfishness…
…from shame…
…from greed…
…from fear…
…from death…
…from our broken relationship with God where we humans are capable of terrible evil.
Jesus gives us Life and Life to the full.
But it is a life of humble service and love.
There is a significant little detail that is often overlooked in this story.
“Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.”
Jesus rode into the city on a colt that had never been ridden.
An unbroken colt!!!
Anyone who has ever seen any riding or roping shows has seen what usually happens to people who sit on untamed colts, especially in the midst of shouting crowds!
Can we sense an underlying smile here as the writer of Mark’s Gospel contemplates this little miracle?
It may seem less spectacular than calming a storm or raising the dead, but it is significant none the less!!!
Jesus is able to take the wild and chaotic and transform it into something manageable.
Jesus is able to take what we may see as a lost cause or a hopeless situation and turn it into a bright, sunny and gentle day!
Instead of being “bucked off” when He sits on the colt, Jesus rides it heroically and peacefully into Jerusalem—even amidst the chaos of people, palms and shouting.
Have you ever felt as if life were a wild ride which was threatening to “buck you off”?
I sure have.
And sometimes I still do.
That is when I must remember that Jesus has come as the Prince of Peace, the Only One Who can ride into my heart and give what the world cannot offer.
Knowing and remembering this is what is Ultimately important in this life.
When the crowds cry “Hosanna to the Son of David!” and “This is the Prophet,” they say the right words, but they still miss the point.
They have all the notes and none of the music.
They have the theology, but they still end up rejecting Jesus and calling for His death!
Knowing the truth is not the same thing as doing the truth.
What one social psychologist once said of college students is also true of the Kingdom of God: “It’s possible to make an A-Plus in a course on ethics and still flunk life.”
Perhaps you’ve seen the old bumper sticker: “Honk if you love Jesus.”
Well, I saw a better one.
It said, “Tithe if you love Jesus. Any fool can honk.”
Or it could say: “Serve if you love Jesus.”
“Humble yourself if you love Jesus.”
“Love your neighbor if you love Jesus.”
Everybody loves a parade.
Everybody loves to cheer.
But Palm Sunday reminds us that Jesus came with a choice.
We can stand and wave, join the crowds that cheered for Jesus on that day, and watch Him pass by.
Or we can follow Him and stand with Him at the Cross.
It’s easy to shout, but it’s harder to serve.
Someone once said, “Everybody wants to go to Rome to see where Saint Peter is buried, but nobody wants to live like him.”
Palm Sunday is a great day to think about what it really means to welcome Jesus into our hearts.
This past Wednesday, we served 348 people through the East Ridge Community Food Pantry.
The Food Pantry is a miracle, really.
Not one of us who started it knew or know what we are doing.
We have never done anything like this.
We just felt God calling us to make a difference in this way, and we made ourselves available.
Now people from at least 6 different Churches in this community come and work together to provide food for those who need some help.
One of you were sharing with me about a woman who was in tears last week.
She had gone through the line and received meat, vegetables, fruit and other staples.
She was so thankful.
She said it was an answer to prayer.
She didn’t know what she would have done without it.
This world, this life is messed up.
Jesus has come to set it right.
We are capable of such greed, such indifference toward our fellow humans—such evil and selfishness.
When we make the decision to “step off the curb” and follow Jesus, we make the decision to die to this stuff and live for God.
And in doing so, we begin to march to a different destination.
And it is radical, indeed!
And it is the most fulfilling thing we can ever do.
Nothing else compares.
Jesus’ road is the only Way to true joy, true peace, and real Life!!!
God’s Son has come to die for us.
As Christ said, “No greater love has anyone than this, that he give his life for his friends.”
Then He says, “You are my friends if you do what I have commanded you.”
And what is this commandment?
“To love each other just as [Jesus] have loved [us].”
Jesus’ love looks like a Cross.
Jesus’ love gives oneself for the other.
Jesus’ love is not this world’s love.
Palm Sunday is a great time to become a follower of Jesus Christ.
There is no such thing as “spectator Christianity.”
What the people who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday didn’t realize was that God was offering them the opportunity to do something more than cheer.
God was inviting them to join God in doing something great--To die to self and live for God and others.
To be saved through faith in Christ, and make a positive difference with our lives.
This life doesn’t have to be a meaningless mess.
God desires to make something beautiful of our lives.
What an offer.
What an opportunity!!!
The choice is ours.
The invitation is here.
Will we follow Jesus to the Cross?
