JESUS TRIUMPHANT ENTRANCE INTO JERUSALEM
“….the great crowd that had come to the (Passover) festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!” Jesus sat upon a young donkey; as it is written: “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” John 12:12-16
INTRODUCTION
Palm Sunday begins Holy Week… So many mysteries to ponder. From the triumphant entrance into Jerusalem to the Last Supper and the Eucharist, Good Friday, Christ Crucified, and then Easter Sunday, new beginnings… new life, eternal life!
Palm Sunday Mass displays a mixture of triumph and suffering. Before Mass begins is a Gospel reading and distribution of palms that describes Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem for the Passover feast.
“Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your king* is coming to you, a just savior is he, Humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” Zachariah 9:9
WHO IS THE KING OF GLORY?
Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty
Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty—he is the King of glory
PSALM 24
REFLECTION
Jesus makes His triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem. It is a remarkable event recorded by all four Gospels. Now is His hour. He is in full command of fulfilling His Father’s will. He allows people to praise Him even if that devotion may fade and change into condemnation.
Jesus is King of Glory! Man-kind could not do it on their own. Abraham couldn’t do it. Moses couldn’t do it. David couldn’t do it. It took Jesus, the Word Incarnate, son of God, son of Mary to open the gates of heaven to all of us so we too may walk the path of GLORY!
The Jews recognized Jesus’ sovereignty by calling him the Son of David, and also by spreading their cloaks before him. This was the ancient custom; people threw down their garments to make a carpet for the royal procession.
We recognize his sovereignty by laying our hearts before him, throwing down our wills in absolute surrender, and asking Jesus to govern everything we think, say and do.
CONCLUSION
Palm Sunday is sometimes called Passion Sunday for good reason. While Jesus is King of Glory and our Savior and Redeemer we get a glimpse in the Mass readings of today the Passion of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew.
FROM HOSANNA TO CRUCIFY HIM
They stripped off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about him.
Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand.
And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
They spat upon him* and took the reed and kept striking him on the head.
And when they had mocked him,
they stripped him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes,
and led him off to crucify him.
Matthew 27:28-31
Hope springs eternal, a week from now Jesus will make another triumphant entrance and deliverance on Easter Sunday. Jesus will rise triumphant over sin and death. How great a Savior we have!
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!