I’ve been spending quite a bit of time over the last month thinking about the upcoming holiday. Easter Sunday. Resurrection Day. I wanted to spend time really meditating on it, about the significance of it, and not just let it pass me by like any other Sunday, any other weekend, any other holiday.
Mostly, I’ve been thinking about the week leading up to that day – this week– what some people call Holy Week, and others have aptly named Passion Week.
I’ve been trying to imagine what would have been going through Jesus’ mind each day leading up to his betrayal, trial, and execution.
Today, the first day of Passion Week, is called Palm Sunday.
Let’s set the scene:
Sunday, April 2nd, AD 30
Only six days before crowds cried for his blood, “Crucify him!” those same people cried, “Hosanna!” (which is the Jewish plea for deliverance; in Hebrew it’s literally translated, “Please save”) “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” They shouted. They waved palm branches (hence the name Palm Sunday) and sang praises as Jesus triumphantly rode into Jerusalem for the week-long Passover festival.
For hundreds of years, Jews everywhere had longed for the coming of a Messiah. When that moment arrived, Rome would be defeated and their lives would be free of taxation and want. No longer would soldiers of Rome be able to corral Jews like cattle, then stab and beat them…. For these people, this hope is like a lifeline, giving them courage in the face of Rome’s unrelenting cruelty.[1]
By this time, word had spread through the whole region about Jesus’ ministry; the miracles He had performed and the powerful parables he taught. Many believed He was this Messiah. This King who would overthrow the government and set them free.
There was one group of Jews however, the religious leaders, The Pharisees, who were not celebrating Jesus’ arrival into town, but plotting how to arrest and eliminate him before he could incite a rebellion and topple their power.
Jesus knew ALL of this.
He knew the Pharisees were conspiring against Him.
He knew the same people praising Him would betray Him in just a few days.
He knew He would be beaten and mocked and murdered.
Yet His love for us was so great, He went through every hour of every day of that week anyway.
My devotion today beautifully describes this day:
“Have you ever found yourself traveling down the road on your way to something you know will be a significant moment in your life? Perhaps you were on your way to your first day of college or to interview for your dream job. Or maybe you were driving to your wedding or speeding to the hospital for the birth of your child. Undoubtedly, this ride is different from your usual trip to the grocery store! Your heart is racing as your mind plays out every possible scenario.
Imagine how Jesus must’ve felt as He traveled down the road to enter Jerusalem, knowing that this road would ultimately end in his death. Jesus knew that he’d be betrayed, imprisoned, tortured and killed, but he also knew that ‘the hour has come so that the Son of Man should be glorified’ (John 12:23). You see, Jesus was on a mission to tear down the great divide between God and man, render sin powerless, to defeat death, and to set us free. Nothing was going to stop him from fulfilling his mission to rescue mankind.”[2]
Hebrews 12:2 says, “for the joy that was set before Him [He] endured the cross.”
You and I, we are that joy. Being in an unhindered relationship with us is what Jesus was focused on when He was going through all of this. Yes, He loves us that much.
The word Hosanna has sort of been redefined after this moment in time as an expression of adoration, praise, or joy. Today, as I reflect on what Jesus willingly went through on this day for me I find myself in tears as I sing along to this song on repeat: “Hosanna”, Hillsong.
[1] Excerpt from “Killing Jesus”, Bill O’Reilley and Martin Dugard
[2] “’It Is Finished’ Was Just the Beginning” devotional, Calvary Chapel Ft Lauderdale www.calvaryftl.org/itisfinished