Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Many people spread their clothes on the road, and others spread leafy branches cut from 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! Mark 11:8-10
The Crowd
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he came humbly and in peacefully, unlike the expectations of the people waiting. But that day he was accepted, reverenced, and praised. They thought he would be the political king that would overthrow the Roman government, setting them free from its rule. He was coming to set them free – from sin and death. They would soon understand, although some who stood praising him that day would be chanting, “Crucify him!” by the end of the week.
Many people had rejected Jesus during his ministry. Now as the Messiah they had all waited for, they took off their coats and laid them on the road for him. It was a display of reverence and respect for this long-awaited fulfillment of God’s prophecy by Zechariah. (Zechariah 9:9) They treated him like royalty.
Some of them cut palm branches, waving them and spreading them on the road. Palm branches were considered a sign of victory, especially a military victory. Palms signified triumph. He was a triumphant king that day, although no one understood exactly what that meant. He was not riding in from a battle, but riding into a battle for you and me – for our hearts.
They sang his praises and 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! For the weeks leading up to this day Jesus did not want to be publicly celebrated as he performed miracles, healing and teaching the crowds. Many times he healed someone and told them to go and tell no one who healed him. But this day the crowd erupted in passionate praises for the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus. The spontaneous praise was fitting for a king.
What would you have done if you had been there that day? Would you have taken off your coat and laid it on the road for him? Would you wave a palm branch and sing his praises? Or would you have been afraid? It is easy for us to think of how we would have praised and worshiped him and laid our coats and leafy branches out for him. But even in our lives today we don’t praise him and treat him like the king he is. Monday through Saturday some of us put him on the back burner and live our lives without a thought of him. He is our king when we walk through the doors of the church but maybe not when we want to do things or go places that don’t glorify him. Jesus deserves our praise and glory every moment. Sometimes giving him praise and glory is what saves us from the rest of the moments of our lives. He is the King of Kings and should be on the throne of our lives every moment of every day. When we have a relationship with him our hearts will overflow with devotion and praise. The world tries to get in the way but his love for us, our love for him, and an overwhelmed heart can drown the world out.
The triumphant entry, as with all the events of Easter, was not a moment in time but is an ongoing, living part of our lives as his followers. Every day we should roll out the red carpet for him, honoring and welcoming him into our lives. Every day we should remember the victory and peace he gives. Every day sing his praises and declare his goodness. Every day live out his love and glory in your life and let it spill out to others around you.
