Mark 11:8-11
And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.
As we celebrate the triumphant entrance of Jesus coming into Jerusalem, we can’t help but fast forward to his victory over death, hell and the grave at Calvary. But as grand as his arrival to Jerusalem was, his sacrifice on a tree at Calvary was incalculably greater. And not just greater because we understand the results, but greater because he didn’t settle for Palm Sunday.
From a human perspective, Palm Sunday was a grand moment. I don’t care who you are, having a throng of adoring fans worship and praise you can be intoxicating. Couple that with the prospect of becoming a conqueror and king of the Jews, is hard to resist. And Jesus had that option. But, he decided to trust God, give up the temporal power, and complete his mission at the cross.
I hope we understand Jesus didn’t have to die. He had a choice. He had freewill. The same freewill we all have been given. We so often deify Jesus in a manner that makes him more than human. And in doing so, we miss the significance of what he’s actually done for us. He’s given us the foundational principle to living a God pleasing life, which is: No Cross, No Crown.
The fact that Jesus was with God, and came from God, often leaves us to conclude he still had godlike qualities as a man. And if that was true, then resisting the temptation of earthly glory and going to the cross instead, wasn’t really that big a deal. He was Jesus after all. But if on the other hand, Jesus was human in every way like each of us, subject to the very same influences, propensities and proclivities, then choosing to go to the cross is a really big deal.
Let’s hear what the Word says about this man Jesus. Hebrew 2:16-18 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.
In short, what these verses let us know for certain is that though Jesus was from heaven, he was completely and utterly human. And being human, he had some tough choices to make. The toughest, voluntarily going to the cross for you and me. If Jesus was an angel, we would hardly expect to ever be like him. And the contention we so often make when we sin, ‘that I’m not Jesus’, would make sense. But given the fact that he was completely human, that argument doesn’t hold water. It’s totally not true.
The Palm Sunday story is one of the few accounts of Christ written in all four of the Gospels. It represented all the hope and aspirations of a desperate people longing to be free. Even though his arrival was less than the grand affair you might expect a king to display, the Jews were so hopeful that this was their Messiah and deliverer, that they overlooked his outward appearance. But they missed the most important element. He didn’t come just to save them. Jesus came to save the world. And in doing so, he’d have to endure the cross first. No cross. No crown.
Children of God, our takeaway this morning must focus beyond the palms and celebration. Our thoughts must take us all the way to the cross. And in doing so we will find our greatest power is found in his victory. Because of Christ, we have the same power he had. He was human. We are human. He was filled with the Spirit. We are filled with the Spirit. He overcame the world. We are overcomers. He was victorious. We have victory in Jesus. And he had a cross he decided to carry for you and me. We each have our own cross that we must choose to carry. Life doesn’t stop at Palm Sunday, (or any other Sunday). But guess what? Now he has a crown. And if we embrace his way, his Word, his will and desire, we also shall wear a crown. A crown of glory; just like Jesus.
God bless
