The Palm and the Cross
Matthew 21:1-11
Palm Sunday April 2nd, 2023
Rev. Rhonda Blevins, pastor
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:
“Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
______
I’m going to say one word, and I’d like for you to say the name of the holiday you most associate with that word. Ready? “Fireworks.”
If you said New Year’s Eve, you’re one of those people. J If you said Fourth of July, you’re brilliant!
Every Fourth of July in the United States of America, fireworks light up the night sky with dazzling displays of light and fire along with earth-shaking, thunderous booms—the magical alchemy of gunpower and (pixie dust?) and fire. From massive city-sponsored events to bottle rockets in my neighbor’s back yard (until the wee hours of the morning), we Americans love to celebrate our independence from British rule with what our pets think is Armageddon. And even though we’ve enjoyed American independence for nearly 250 years, celebrating our independence never gets old. Fireworks and American Independence go together like Joe Creegan and bad jokes.
But not every culture or nation celebrates their independence day with fireworks. In fact, fireworks are only about 1,000 years old. So, before fireworks were invented, nations celebrated independence in other ways.
Take the Israelites, for example. During the intertestamental period in Jewish history (the time between the Old and New Testaments), the Jews lost control of their Temple to a foreign regime under King Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria. Under King Antiochus, Jews were forbidden to practice their religion. Jerusalem was under foreign control. And the beautiful Second Temple became the site for some cultish amalgam of Paganism and Judaism.
A Jewish revolt led by Judas Maccabees to take back Jerusalem and the Temple was eventually successful! Listen to how the Jews celebrated this victory—this independence from foreign rule and occupation from 2 Maccabees 10:1-9:
Now Maccabeus and his followers, the Lord leading them on, recovered the temple and the city; they tore down the altars that had been built in the public square by the foreigners and also destroyed the sacred precincts. They purified the sanctuary and made another altar of sacrifice; then, striking fire out of flint, they offered sacrifices, after a lapse of two years, and they offered incense and lighted lamps and set out the bread of the Presence . . . Therefore, carrying ivy-wreathed wands and beautiful branches and also palm fronds, they offered hymns of thanksgiving to him who had given success to the purifying of his own holy place. They decreed by public edict, ratified by vote, that the whole nation of the Jews should observe these days every year. Such then was the end of Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes.
No fireworks to celebrate their independence. Rather, palm fronds! Waving palm fronds in First Century Jerusalem was akin to us waving an American flag.
By the time we get to the story in our scripture text today, it had only been about 200 years since the Jews reclaimed their Temple from a foreign occupation. Only 200 years since they first celebrated their national victory with the waving of palm fronds—they would celebrate this victory every year since. Ever heard of Hanukkah?
The palm frond became a national symbol of an independent and powerful Israel. Americans have the bald eagle; Israelis at that time had the palm frond. In fact, just like many American coins sport the representation of a bald eagle, some Israeli coins displayed the likeness of a palm branch.
So when Jesus rode into Jerusalem and the people waved palm branches, they might have been revealing their great hope: that Jesus would be the next Judas Maccabees, a messiah who would liberate Israel from Roman imperial rule (just like Maccabees had done 200 years prior).
They were looking for a different kind of savior than Jesus would be.
But doesn’t that describe each of us at some level?
We want what we want from Jesus. And we want it now!
That’s how some people approach their prayer life—as if God is a genie in a bottle just waiting around to grant their wishes.
There was a guy named Larry who went to an old-fashioned revival meeting. After the sermon the preacher invited anyone with prayer needs to come forward to the front of the church.
Larry got in line, and when it was his turn, the preacher asked him: “Larry, what do you want me to pray about for you?”
Larry replied: “Preacher, I need you to pray for my hearing.”
The preacher put one finger in Larry’s ear, and he placed the other hand on top of Larry’s head and he prayed and prayed and prayed.
After a few minutes, the preacher removed his hands, he stood back and asked Larry: "Larry, how is your hearing now?"
Larry said, “I don’t know, Reverend, it’s not until next Wednesday.”
Here’s the thing: God is not some cosmic vending machine. God is not “Amazon” from on high. God isn’t a genie in a bottle waiting around for us to rub the bottle so “He” can show up and grant us our wishes.
No.
· Jesus would show us that the way up is first the way down.
· Jesus would show us that to live we must die.
· Jesus would show us that to claim victory we must first suffer defeat.
The way of Jesus demands that we lay down our palms and take up our cross.
Five days later—five days after Jesus’ triumphal entry—there would be no one waving palm branches or shouting “Hosanna!” as Jesus walked a different path, the Via Dolorosa, that road leading from Jerusalem to Calvary, having been stripped and tortured, bearing the weight of an old rugged cross.
I wonder if any of the disciples witnessed Jesus carrying his cross? We’re told they fled, but did they watch it all unfold from a distance? And if so, were they reminded of the time Jesus said this to them:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) Jesus never asked his followers to take up their palms. Rather, he said we must take up our cross.
Here’s an invitation for you at the beginning of this Holy Week—it is simple in some ways, and oh, so difficult in others.
The invitation is to lay down your palm and take up your cross.
· Lay down YOUR wants.
· Lay down YOUR needs.
· Lay down YOUR expectations.
And take up the cross.
· Take up GOD’s wants.
· Take up GOD’s needs.
· Take up GOD’s expectation.
Colossians 3:2-3 says it this way:
Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth,
for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
And that’s what it means to be a follower of Christ.
Lay down your palm. Take up your cross.
In a moment, the choir will sing a beautiful anthem recalling the night that Jesus was betrayed and denied. As they sing, the children will distribute crosses they’ve made from palm fronds. I invite you to take a cross and keep it with you throughout this coming Holy Week. As you notice it, remember Jesus’ words: “deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”
I close with a poem entitled “Lay Down Your Palm, O Christian.”
Lay down your palm, O Christian; take up your cross instead!
The day of crucifixion—the day our Savior bled—
Mere days from now, upon us, its shame and sorrow nigh.
Lay down your palm, O Christian, and self, learn to deny.
Lay down your palm, O Christian; take up your cross today!
Beyond this celebration, our Savior’s dying day.
With him, to Calv’ry follow, the cross, we’ll carry too.
Because our Lord commanded, “Take up your cross,” we do.
Lay down your palm, O Christian; take up your cross in love!
Like Jesus came from heaven, descending from above,
We journey into darkness—the downward way we trod.
Lay down your palm, O Christian; take up the cross of God!