12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
John 12:12-19
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
Palm branches. Surely they are readily available in the highways and byways of Israel. But I think the people are saying something more.
From about two centuries earlier, palm branches had already become a national symbol. When Simon the Maccabee drove the Syrian forces out of the Jerusalem citadel he was feted with music and the waving of palm branches, which also had been prominent at the rededication of the temple. Apocalyptic visions of the end utilize palm branches. Palms appear on the coins struck by the insurgents during the Jewish wars against Rome; indeed, the use of the palm as a symbol for Judea was sufficiently well established that the coins struck by the Romans to celebrate their victory also supported it. In short, waving of palm branches was no longer restrictively associated with tabernacles. In this instance it may well have signaled nationalist hope that a messianic liberator was arriving on the scene.
What if this man is the one who will free us from Roman occupation! This man just brought someone back from the dead!
They’re waving palm branches, I think more politically than spiritually! Their cries of “Hosanna!” are not merely cries of worship but cries of “Save us now!”
If ever there was a moment for Jesus to get the common man on his side, it’s right here! He could get up on a chariot and ride into town as the conquering king. After all, that’s kind of how things went in the ancient world. “Hey, I’m in charge now.” “No you’re not.” “Want to fight?” “Sure.” Winner is in charge.
But the public does not set Jesus’ agenda.
And to both make a very clear point and fulfill prophecy Jesus has his disciples find him a young donkey. A worldly king would have a chariot. At least a horse.
But the King of heaven is fine with a donkey. I’ve said it before: real power doesn’t tell you how much power they have.
Jesus will let the crowd down.
He’s not everything they hoped for. He’s not going to give them what they want. He’s not going to pick a side and fight in the polarities of his day. No. He’s going to die.
He has his heart and mind set on something altogether different.
He’s not going to throw off the chains of Roman occupation for the Jews, but he’s going to throw off the chains of sin for the whole world.
He’s not fighting an earthly battle alone; he’s waging war with death, hell, and the grave. The true enemy, the great enemy, the Evil one, is in his sights.
His kingdom will not come by force; his kingdom will come by suffering.
And it’s by suffering it still comes. As the people of God lay down their lives and pick up their crosses to follow Jesus, our great and humble King.