Thought for the week – Palm Sunday

On the first Palm Sunday the people of Jerusalem thronged to greet the coming of Jesus with palm branches and shouts of Hosanna.

By the end of the week the cries had changed to ‘Crucify Him’.   The religious hierarchy of the day ensured that emotions were stirred to such an extent that the praise and welcome Jesus received were soon turned to cries of hatred and condemnation. Within days Pontius Pilate had washed his hands, the disciples of Jesus were scattered and the proclaimed kingdom of God’s righteousness and justice seemed well trodden underfoot. The likes of Caiaphas, the chief Priest and others of the religions elite smugly content that they had succeeded in turning praise to hatred and mob rule. They were, however, doomed to failure.   Jesus entered Jerusalem to proclaim that evil and sin and empty religiosity were on borrowed time.  He came to claim the city as his own and to establish forever a Kingdom of righteousness and truth which would be fulfilled on Easter Day the day of resurrection.

The history of the world has seen kingdoms rise and fall and by today there are many cruel and tyrannical dictatorships that condone suffering and are silent to injustice.  Palm Sunday declares that God’s anger and judgement will come on every act of evil and terrorism and those who cause even the littlest to suffer will be subject to the wrath and punishment of God.  God is love, but the Bible also tell us of his righteous anger and abhorrence of sin and evil.  Palm Sunday challenges the evil and unrighteousness that brought Jesus to the cross and yet leads to the ultimate victory of the third day when Jesus was raised from the dead.  This Sunday is the prelude to Easter day and the assurance that good will ultimately overcome and conquer evil.  ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’