They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"
Matt 21:7-9 (NIV)
Today is Palm Sunday - the day when the events mentioned above took place more than 2,000 years ago.
It must have been quite a spectacle!!! Large crowd waving palm branches and making lots of noise. After all, their 'hero' has come to town - and he came riding a donkey!!! They did not miss the significance of that - it shows that he is coming as a king! Finally, someone to deliver them from the rule of foreigners! You can watch a clip of it here - i think this is quite a good depiction of wat took place (too bad i couldn't embed the clip here).
But they missed something - yes, he came as a king, but not a conquering king (for that would have meant he would come riding a stallion). No, he came as a peaceful king, to offer them something more than freedom from tyranny. He came to offer them freedom from sin. he came to offer us life - life to its fullest!
After all, he himself had said earlier that he was sent by God not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved!
So in the midst of the revelry, he rides on quietly knowing that in a few days time, some of these people who are shouting 'Hosanna' will soon be shouting 'Crucify him!'. He rides on quietly knowing that he will face a most horrific and gruesome death. He rides on quietly knowing that all his closest companions will desert him and some will deny ever knowing him.
He rides on to die cause he knows there is no other way he can save a lost world.
*Taken from my favourite album of his, 'Known by his scars' featuring songs about the events that took place in the Holy Week during Jesus' life on earth.
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