"The Truth About Palm Sunday"

Passion and Palm Sunday Mar 28 2010,  Mark 11:1-10

When you look at the events from Palm Sunday to Good Friday it's almost like one of those "Good news and Bad news" jokes.  The good news might be that Jesus Christ finally reaches His five minutes of fame or the peak of his popularity during this week, riding in a triumphal procession into the holy city of Jerusalem.  There was a big parade, everybody turned out, the disciples were very impressed, and the Pharisees and the Sadducee realized that they had underestimated this simple Galilean teacher.  But just like in our lives today, no one stays on the top for long, fame usually translates into jealousy or anger somewhere within your family or friends and then you become the target for their hostility.  I suppose most of us here can relate to scenario.

Riding this crest of public approval Jesus went to the temple, the very centre of the Jewish faith, and began to teach.  From Sunday to Thursday Jesus was unstoppable.  Things seemed to be working to their advantage and they were confident in the images they had built up in their own minds as to what was to come.  His enemy’s had tried to trap him several times -- but to no avail.   No one even seriously complained when he overturned the tables of the moneychangers and let the sacrificial birds go free.   And in this same period Jesus established this great new commandment, John 13: 34  “Love one another.”  As I have loved you, so you must love one another" and He began this new convenient  with the breaking of bread and the drinking of wine which would later on, become for the church the sacrament of Holy Communion.   So, what's the bad news?   His popularity was superficial for the most part, with his followers and those who were celebrating, yes even with his closest companions, his disciples.   You could compare this kind of popularity to that of a sports icon, or a TV celebrity  where people literally worship them one minute and then are gossiping about their fall the very next day.  On Thursday he was betrayed and arrested and on Friday he was hanging on a cross to take his last breath.   Where was the substance of what and who this man really was to those who followed Him?    Today the palms - tomorrow the passion -- good news and bad news it was no joke.   The grim truth is that the same people who shouted "Hosanna" on Sunday shouted "Crucify him," just five days later.    Everybody's hero became a bloody sacrifice, an object of scorn and hatred.  So where do we fit into this picture today, we don’t hate Jesus and we certainly wouldn’t ask for this death would we?   But Folks there are similarities for us here today, what lesson can we take in and ponder for ourselves.     Can we see ourselves in this picture, those of us who claim to follow Him today?     Let me begin by asking you a personal question.  What is your relationship with Jesus?  How many of us here today would be willing to stand on a street corner and proclaim his message of loving your enemy, or doing good to those who persecute and insult you.  How many of us would have the courage to publicly announce Him to be Lord over your life, Lord over all creation.   Peter the one who was to be the founder of would eventually become Christianity as we know it today, denies being one of his followers, denies evening knowing Jesus.  Now Peter was afraid because he could loose his life, and as we all know fear can do strange things to people, but what about us, what do we have to be afraid of.  Well, I think the worst case scenario would be to loose some friends or family members who might think we’ve gone over the top with our religion.   Tough question I know, but shouldn’t we know in our hearts where we stand with Jesus, in our lives, today, right now.   Many followers thought they knew who Jesus was for them but their relationship was only superficial.  So what would be a fair question for we who claim to follow him today?

When did you first learn about Jesus, was it in public, a family member or in Sunday school.  We sing about him, we read about him, and we are asked to seek a personal relationship with Him.  But truly how many of us really feel protected, and secure in that relationship.   How many of truly understand and live out our claim that He is Lord over their lives.  His name can be in our words and in our heads, but has He moved from our mind and lips into our heart, where we can feel his compassion for all people and where it stirs you to share it with all those who are in need?   Has Jesus moved into your hands your creative hands no longer only gathering just for yourself?    Has Jesus moved literally into your feet, the very foundation of your physical body, causing you to move out of your comfort zones to share your gifts in service to others?   Can you truly claim to be firmly planted in the wonder of His love?    Difficult question meant to get us to reflect upon our personal relationship with the Master.  For the disciples and the masses, this had not YET happened as it may very well not have happened for you yet.   But let us remember it was to come for them and it would begin for us too, on Friday at Calvary.   That’s where it begins for all of us, at the foot of the cross, but you personally have to go there.   Many still believe that all you are required to do is to profess Him to be Lord over your life and you will be saved.  For them there is no sacrifice, for them there is no work up, no true seeking, and so they cannot be found.  Let us never forget that it is Christ who is seeking you, not the other way around.  And when He knocks at your door, the door to your heart, it will be opened, then you can take Jesus at his word He then will truly be in you, as He is in the Father.  I will then send you the Spirit who will baptize you with fire, and then you will know who I am, then you will know your salvation.