The Palm Sunday crowd wanted Jesus to be political. He refused. They lost hope in “the hope of glory.” On Palm Sunday, Jesus faced off with politics and religion. They both rejected Him and teamed up to silence Him.
On Palm Sunday people expected freedom from Rome. Instead, Jesus offered freedom from slavery to desires, feelings and thoughts.
The angry crowd yelling, “Crucify Him,” showed that much of Palm Sunday’s cheering, was fake faith, based on false expectations. Jesus also exposed much of it to be hype, by openly weeping over Jerusalem as He approached it because He knew it would be wiped out by Rome in 70 AD. Conquerors don’t cry during a triumphal entry, but Jesus also wept because He was grieved that the people didn’t comprehend Him.
Palm Sunday didn’t lead to Jesus overthrowing Rome as many expected the Messiah to do. Instead, about 40 years later, Jerusalem revolted and was totally destroyed as Jesus had predicted.
Conquerors were welcomed with palm branches. Jesus was expected to triumph over Rome. Instead He conquered death! Jesus didn’t enter Jerusalem on a conqueror’s war horse but on a common man’s donkey. Being an earthly king (or president) wasn’t what Jesus had in mind when He rode into Jerusalem. The King that Jerusalem thought would confront the Romans was crucified by Rome, without putting up any fight.
Religious leaders often look to the government. In Jerusalem, they used Rome to prevent people from following the living Jesus.
Wanting Jesus as a political savior, the people cheered Him, but when He didn’t support their politics, they yelled, “Crucify Him!
Palm Sunday,
Cheering crowd;
Good Friday,
Jeering crowd:
Follow Jesus,
Not a crowd.
