Palm Sunday 2024

Mark 11:1-11

Rev. Neli Miranda

“Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” with this great acclamation the pilgrims entering Jerusalem hail Jesus and mark the beginning of Jesus’ final week before his crucifixion. Crossan & Borg, two Bible scholars say that “Two processions entered Jerusalem on a spring day in the year 30.  It was the beginning of the week of Passover, the most sacred week of the Jewish year. One was a peasant procession, the other an imperial procession…” (2006, p.2).

From the east, riding on a donkey, Jesus led a procession of peasants who came to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. From the west, on the opposite side of the city, Pontious Pilate the Roman Governor, riding on a warhorse entered Jerusalem at the head of a column of imperial soldiers. It was customary for Roman governors to be in Jerusalem during the celebration of Jewish festivals, especially during Passover. They did not come as reverent pilgrims but to control any revolt that might arise during a festival that celebrated the liberation of the Jewish people from an ancient empire, Egypt. The Roman soldiers, presided by the Roman Governor, entered Jerusalem wearing armor and a helmet, and carrying swords, spears, bows, and arrows. Their invasive presence overwhelmed the city and produced social unrest, and on many occasions, they perpetrated acts of violence against the people. In past Passover celebrations, many Jews had been massacred by the Roman troops.

Today, we read that Jesus comes in the company of his disciples and many pilgrims who have joined them on the way. His liberating message, his mighty deeds, his epic confrontations with the Jewish authorities and his anti-imperial message, precede him. In today’s Gospel, Marks gives us information that indicates the fact that Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was not accidental but a well-prepared politico-religious act. Crossan & Borg describe this procession as a counter-procession to Pilate’s entry into Jerusalem.

Mark tells us about the prior preparations for Jesus’ memorable entry into Jerusalem. While Jesus and his disciples were approaching Jerusalem from the villages of Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead and instructed them to find a young colt that has never been ridden. He told them that if anyone questioned their actions, they should simply say, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately”, which might have implied that Jesus, intentionally and following the prophet Zechariah, made arrangements for this counter-procession.  The choice of riding a young colt fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, which foretold that the Messiah would come triumphant and victorious... humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah’s prophecy speaks of peace as the greatest characteristic of God’s Kingdom in contrast to the violent imperial conquerors who rode on warhorses. In his entry to Jerusalem, Jesus recalls this prophetic tradition and embodies it!

When the disciples brought the colt to Jesus, they placed their cloaks on it, and Jesus sat on it. Then, as Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the colt, many people also spread their cloaks on the road. The spreading of cloaks on the road was a practice reserved for welcoming and honoring royalty. Surely the peasants’ cloaks were not made of exquisite fabric, but by spreading their cloaks for Jesus, they acknowledged him as a royal figure. Were they, too, deliberately participating in this counter-procession and demonstrating that they did not pledge allegiance to the imperial procession but to Jesus, the One who comes in the name of the Lord?  They were taking Jesus’ side.

The counter-procession represented another subversive act. Some in the crowd cut leafy branches from the fields and spread them on the road. The act of spreading leafy branches, specifically palm branches, had Messianic connotations. In Jewish tradition, palm branches were associated with the Festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) and were used as a symbol of victory and salvation. So, this act symbolized the people’s expectation of Jesus as the victorious Messiah who would bring deliverance and salvation to Israel.

The crowning act of this procession is the acclamation Jesus receives from the crowd, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” These words of praise and acclamation express the people’s recognition of Jesus as the One sent by God. “Hosanna”, a Hebrew expression meaning “Save now” or “Save, we pray”, expresses the people’s rejection of the procession led by the Roman Governor who comes in the name of Emperor and proclaims Jesus as the One who comes in the name of the Lord!

Today, are we aware of the great significance of Palm Sunday? Which procession are we joining today?  To whom do we pledge our allegiance today?   

Dear sisters and brothers, on Palm Sunday we are invited to consciously join Jesus’ counter-procession and pledge our allegiance to the Kingdom he proclaims. Let us enter today our world as pilgrims of peace who proclaim love, reconciliation, hope, and life in the midst of today’s oppressive and violent system. Let us lift up our palm branches as symbols that proclaim that we are on Jesus’ side. Amen. 

Borg, M., & Crossan, J. (2006). THE LAST WEEK: THE DAY-BY-DAY ACCOUNT OF JESUS’S FINAL WEEK IN JERUSALEM. Perfect Bound. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alice-Deken/post/Bibliography_on_Jesus_life/attachment/62d7c017df58b43f605f169c/AS%3A1179837477728261%401658306583370/download/BorgCrossan-TheLastWeekADay-by-DayAccountofJesusFinalWeekinJerusalem(book).pdf