The Fans in the Parade

The excitement surrounding the feast of Palm Sunday reminds us of the typical waves of joy that characterize the crowds along a parade route.  By the time the team, the featured guest or the grand marshall arrives, even the most reluctant spectator is caught up in the emotions and cheers of the devoted fans.  We can easily imagine that as Jesus made his entry into Jerusalem, there were some who had not seen Jesus or encountered Jesus before.  However, being observant Jews, they were aware of the annual feast of the Passover commemorating the deliverance of the people of God from their oppressors.  What had been an annual feast to remember the deliverance of the Israelites when they were enslaved in Egypt was now being celebrated as the fulfillment of prayers to be delivered from their current oppression.

The symbolism of the arrival of Jesus during the time of Roman oppression was not overlooked by the Roman authorities and the leaders of the Sanhedrin.   The heroic reception that Jesus received revealed the allegiance and hope of the people of Israel.  The end of their days of oppression were soon to end now that the King of the Jews had arrived. 

As we wave our palm branches in the sanctuary Sunday morning, we also celebrate the arrival of Jesus into the sanctuary.  We also recall the abuses in the temple and the people who rejected Jesus.  While the arrival of Jesus signals the removal of oppression, the arrival of Jesus can also expose some of the systems and structures that contribute to our ongoing oppression.  In the questions at the end of the Palm Sunday devotional, Truesdale invites us to reflect upon the irradiation and illumination of our temples.  As the end of the Lenten season draws even closer, let us prepare our temples to receive the arrival of our Blessed Redeemer.  We’ll see you in class and we’ll see you in worship.

In Christ,
Jon McCoy