The roots of Palm Sunday are in an Old Testament book called Zechariah. This book was written 500 years before the birth of our Lord, yet it's content was given to Zechariah by Jesus. As the Messenger of the Lord, another name in the Old Testament for God, Jesus guided Zechariah to write about Palm Sunday 500 years in advance. In this book Jesus reveals not only that He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver but that He would ride in Jerusalem as a King on a donkey. Into Jerusalem Jesus would ride as a conquering King to save, to restore, to subdue death, and reveal God's love in a stunning fashion.
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem joy filled the air. On this day people from all over the world, Jewish believers, filled Jerusalem to the brim. Many of them had heard about the remarkable miracles of Jesus, the amazing teachings of Jesus, and mercy He showered upon people. They wondered might this Person at last be the long awaited Messiah. Hope filled the air as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Little children as well as adults cried out "Save us!"
Yet as Jesus rode into Mt. Zion, little did the people on that day realize He was riding into the valley of death. They did not connect Isaiah 53 with Zechariah nine. Isaiah 53 had predicted that God's Suffering Servant, Immanuel, Jesus, would suffer in Jerusalem the most horrible death in history. He would do this in order to pay the price for the sin of the world.
There is a poem written by Alfred Lord Tennyson that has wording in it that speaks of the kind of valley into which Jesus would ride into on Palm Sunday. The poem is titled "The Charge of the Light Brigade." It was written in 1854 to describe a battle that took place in the Crimean War. The battle involved British soldiers bravely riding into the mouth of death to slow the artillery pounding of Russian soldiers. Tennyson's language while speaking of this battle, unwittingly described what was happening as Jesus' entered Jerusalem on Psalm Sunday. Here are a few of his famous words:
Not all the soldiers knew someone blundered in that order. Theirs was not to make replay, theirs was not to reason why, theirs was but to do and die. Into the valley of death rode the six hundred.
Canons to the right of them canons to left of them, canons in front of them. Volleyed and thundered. Stormed at with shot and shell, boldly they rode well. Into the jaws of death, into the mouth of hell. Tennyson
Jesus knew well He was riding into hell that Palm Sunday. While many were wondering would He use the power that enabled him to still a storm, walk on water, raise the dead, and heal thousands, Jesus had far different plans. He knew that for death to be defeated He would have to be the death of death by death. For sin to be defeated His feet would need to be nailed to a cross as well as His Palms. To cross out the sins of the world nothing less than His death on a cross would do. His was not to reason why, but His was simply to die--for each one of us.
The thousands of people who shouted with joy, "Hosanna!" were hoping Jesus would call down a legion of angels to take down blood thirsty Rome, to smack down sleazy Herod, and grind into the dust all the brutal bullies of the world. They would have been shocked to know that as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday many of the top religious power brokers were conspiring to put Jesus to death by any means possible. In fact, these men of the cloth were hoping they could have Jesus nailed to a cross, because they thought that this most shameful of deaths would put an end to His mighty ministry. After all, Deuteronomy taught "Cursed is he who dies on a tree."
Yes, Jesus would five days later be cursed on a tree. He would be cursed, damned to hell for our sleazy sins, our twisted deeds, our endless sins of omission where we love so weakly. On Palm Sunday Jesus was riding toward the mouth of hell into the canons of hell aimed at him from all sides--canons to the right, canons to the left, canons in front of him. Canons from the right--his disciples would cut tail and run. Canons from the left--people would be bribed to accuse Jesus of sin when no one could find even a hint of sin--canons in front of him all the forces, fury, and fire of hell would assail Jesus as he was beaten, scourged, spat upon, mocked, and assaulted verbally and bodily not stop. In the midst of all this all Jesus could say repeatedly was "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Here He was showing the deepest love in the universe without fail and yet the canons of sin and hell and evil were letting loose on history's one sinless human.
On Palm Sunday see Jesus riding up Mt. Zion to shouts of joy at the same He is riding down the valley of death into the mouth of hell. Added to this paradox priests were choosing the Passover Lambs for Good Friday as Jesus rode into Jerusalem for us, for all, to save, to humble Himself unto death, death on a cross. In reality, Jesus, the Passover Lamb of God, was chosen before the universe was created to unfold a love that would make us truly human and restore us to the image of God once and for all.
An extreme peak and valley moment at the same time was unfolding. I suspect one day from heaven we will see a heavenly video of some sort of Jesus' death on the cross for us. It will be something spectacular. It will engender in our hearts the deepest love beyond what one can imagine--holy, selfless, entrancing, and beautiful. It will be a love that be on display for the whole cosmos and holy angels and billions of people in the new heaven and new earth. When we see that love all our questions here on earth will dissolve. We will be amazed for all eternity--never a moment of boredom, never a sliver of sin, never a nano-second of anything, but bliss, beauty, joy unspeakable!
As we enter into holy week to hear again the Holy Spirit teach us anew the details of Jesus' love--the length, the breadth, and depth to which He suffered to redeem us-- we are centered. For twenty years every Good Friday evening at California Missouri, a gentleman that joined our church, summarized holy week in simple words. With tears in his eyes, tears of joy, usually on Good Friday, after marveling the depth of Jesus infinite love, Mark would shake my hands and simply say, "This is what it is all about!"
What a Savior who would ride into death, ride into hell, ride into absolute darkness to bring to us the light of God's love. Do your soul a favor and allow our risen Savior to reveal to you the Divine details of His incredible love for you. For you He entered Jerusalem to go into the mouth of hell to earn a place in heaven for you.
