Mark 11:1-11

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?’ They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’

‘Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!’

‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went to Bethany with the Twelve.

Let us pray,

May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all of our hearts, be pleasing and acceptable to you, our rock and our redeemer.

Today is Palm Sunday. It is the last Sunday in Lent. Next Sunday we will gather together to celebrate Easter. But before we get there, we have this interesting story about Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday introduces us to God’s final covenant with humanity- Jesus. And the ways in which this new covenant will put Christians at odds with the political authorities of their day.

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is an act of defiance. He knows what he’s doing. Jesus knows that it is super dangerous for him to be in Jerusalem right now. It’s especially dangerous for him to parade into town declaring that a new king is here. And this king will not rule by violence. He is coming to usher in the kingdom of God. 

Astonishingly, the crowd treats him the way they would a Roman king riding into town after a military victory. The crowd lays branches and cloaks before his feet. This was typically done to show honor and respect to a visiting Roman king. The crowd shouts Hosanna! Which is a Hebrew word used in the Greek meaning “save us now!” The crowd thinks that Jesus, a nobody from nowhere, has the power to save them.

You can understand why Rome might have a problem with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. He’s making fun of Roman military parades. On the one hand, he’s rejecting the pomp and circumstance typically associated with royal parades. On the other hand, the parade shows that the people respect his, and not Rome’s authority. Rome would have considered Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem an act of treason. 

Jesus knows exactly what he’s doing. He didn’t accidentally ride into town on a donkey. He didn’t accidentally ruffle the feathers of the Roman authorities. Jesus is deliberately making fun of the ‘powers that be’ and their desire for glory. And in so doing, he shows the crowd gathered to watch the parade another way to live. Riding in on the colt, Jesus comes as Lord who doesn’t lord his authority over others.

Jesus’ authority is revolutionary. He commands respect and admiration because of his integrity, compassion, and wisdom. Not because of his wealth, power, or influence. Not because he has the biggest army and the most weapons to defend his power. His commitment to non-violence challenges and transforms radicals and Roman republicans alike.

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem suggests that the new covenant God brings about in Jesus is a direct threat to the powers that be. In this new covenant, God promises to be our God, and through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we will be God’s people. In this new covenant, Jesus does something for us that we cannot do for ourselves. Jesus makes it possible for us to live as beloved children of God.

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is a political statement. Because in order to declare our allegiance to God, we have to declare that our allegiance is not to the powers and principalities of this world. We cannot serve two gods. If pledge our allegiance to God, we cannot pledge our allegiance to Rome. Jesus knows this. And is killed for it. (Pause) 

You can probably see where I’m going with this. Palm Sunday leads directly to the events of Good Friday. The same people who greeted Jesus with palm branches will tell Pilate to “Crucify Him!” five days later. It is on Palm Sunday that we begin to see what will be reenacted on Good Friday: Jesus died because the kingdom of God is a direct threat to the power of the Roman empire.

Unlike the crowds gathered on Palm Sunday, we know that when Jesus enters Jerusalem, this time will be the last time. Palm Sunday is such a weird celebration. A weird way to mark the beginning of the most important week in the Christian year. Because we know that Jesus walks the road that will take him to the cross.

So why on Earth, do we celebrate Palm Sunday? Yes, the shadow of Good Friday transforms the light of Palm Sunday. The death of our Lord and Savior is coming, and there is nothing we can do to stop it. But together, Palm Sunday and Good Friday show us what’s at stake in Jesus’ death. Jesus dies so that we might live.

The other reason we celebrate Palm Sunday is because it reminds us that the gospel is political. It reminds us that Jesus was executed because the kingdom of God threatens the powers that be in our world. Palm Sunday reminds us that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing on Earth that has the potential to transform our lives and our communities. So, naturally, the gospel of Jesus Christ is going to be a direct threat to the powers and principalities of our own world. And, as we move through Holy Week, we’ll see just how those powers deal with real or perceived threats.

But, in a strange way, the fact that the gospel is political, is actually good news for us. It’s good news because it helps us understand what is at stake for us when we proclaim that Jesus is Lord. Especially when we do things like advocate for policies that respect human life, protect our environment, or care for the least of these. Because we are called to follow Jesus. To care for the poor, the disabled, and the marginalized. We should expect to enter into the same suffering Jesus did when he cared for the least of these.

As followers of Jesus, we know that we don’t suffer in vain. We know that we suffer because we’re trying to actively participate in the already, but not yet kingdom of God. We’re advocating for a time where there will be no mourning, or crying, or pain, or death anymore. We live in anticipation of the day when Jesus will return to restore creation to its intended glory. 

One way that we participate in the unfolding of the kingdom of God is by advocating for a way of life that pledges ultimate allegiance to God. Not to the path of least resistance. Not to whatever political party happens to be in power at the moment. Of course we’re going to be persecuted. Because the path of discipleship ends at the cross. And the cross demands nothing short of a new world order.

Friends, Easter morning asks all of us to give all of our allegiance to God. As we worship the one who makes our new lives possible. Though we know that saying yes to God means Rome will always be biting at our heals. Because it is in those moments when we are able to say yes to God, and no to empire, that we see glimpses of God’s final covenant at work in our lives.

Thanks be to God,

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.