Palm Sunday & The Big Procession

Palm Sunday: The King Rides In (Mark 11; John 12)

As the Passover festival approached, Jerusalem was buzzing with excitement, and news of Jesus’ miracles had spread quickly through the city. Jesus, knowing that the time had come for Him to reveal Himself as the true King, sent two of His disciples to fetch a young donkey that had never been ridden. He instructed them, “If anyone asks what you are doing, tell them, ‘The Lord needs it, and will send it back shortly.'”

When the disciples brought the donkey to Jesus, they spread their cloaks on its back as a saddle, and Jesus mounted the donkey. Even though it had never been ridden before, the donkey calmly carried Jesus through the streets. The crowd, having heard of His miracles, began to cheer and lay down their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them out before Him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” This was a symbolic act of honor, acknowledging Jesus as the promised King.

This moment fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah, which foretold that the King of Israel would come riding on a donkey, not in a display of military power, but in peace. The people were excited, hoping that Jesus would establish His kingdom and deliver them from Roman oppression. However, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was not just about earthly kingship; it was about the arrival of God’s kingdom in a different way—through sacrifice, peace, and love.

Jesus in the Temple: Cleansing the Temple (Mark 11)

After His triumphant entry, Jesus went to the temple. He saw that the temple, which was meant to be a house of prayer for all nations, had been turned into a marketplace. The money changers and merchants were exploiting the pilgrims who came to worship. The poor were being cheated, and the sacred space was filled with noise and corruption.

Jesus, filled with righteous anger, overturned the tables of the money changers and drove the merchants out, saying, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers.” This act symbolized Jesus’ authority over the temple and His desire to restore its true purpose: to be a place where people could connect with God, not a place for greed and exploitation.

This cleansing of the temple was a bold statement of Jesus’ mission—to restore purity and righteousness in the worship of God, and to challenge the corrupt systems that had taken root among the religious leaders.

Enemies Grow Stronger: The Plot to Kill Jesus (Matthew 26; Mark 12)

As the days passed, the religious leaders became more determined to arrest Jesus. His popularity was growing, and they feared that His influence would challenge their own authority. They knew that if they tried to arrest Him publicly, it would cause a riot among the people. So, they began to plot in secret, looking for an opportunity to capture Him without causing an uproar.

Meanwhile, Jesus continued to teach in the temple, knowing that His time was near. The Jewish leaders tried to trap Him with tricky questions, hoping to discredit Him. One such question was about paying taxes to the Roman rulers. Jesus, knowing their intentions, replied, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” His answer was wise and avoided their trap, while still affirming the need for both civic duty and devotion to God.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Mark 12)

Jesus told a parable to the people and the religious leaders, warning them about their rejection of God’s messengers. He said, “There was a man who planted a vineyard and rented it out to tenants. When harvest time came, he sent servants to collect his share of the fruit, but the tenants beat and killed them. Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking they would respect him, but the tenants killed him too, hoping to take over the vineyard for themselves.”

Jesus asked, “What do you think the owner will do?” The crowd responded, “He will come and destroy those tenants.” Jesus explained that this was a picture of the Jewish leaders’ rejection of God’s prophets and His Son. The vineyard represented Israel, and the tenants were the leaders. They had rejected God’s messengers and would soon reject Jesus, the Son.

This parable was a direct rebuke to the religious leaders, warning them that their rejection of Jesus would lead to the loss of their role in God’s plan. Jesus also quoted Psalm 118:22, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” referring to Himself as the rejected stone that would become the foundation of God’s kingdom.

The Enemy Inside: Judas’ Betrayal (Matthew 26)

As the plot to arrest Jesus intensified, Judas Iscariot, one of His twelve disciples, became disillusioned. He had hoped for an earthly kingdom, but Jesus’ words about suffering and sacrifice did not match his expectations. Judas, feeling betrayed and frustrated, went to the religious leaders and agreed to betray Jesus for thirty silver coins.

The leaders were delighted with Judas’ offer, and he secretly arranged to hand Jesus over to them at a time when He was away from the crowds. This marked the beginning of the final phase of Jesus’ journey to the cross.

These events, from Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the growing opposition from religious leaders, highlight the tension between Jesus’ message of peace and the world’s desire for power and control. As Jesus prepared for the cross, He demonstrated that His kingdom was not of this world, and that true power comes through humility, sacrifice, and obedience to God’s will.