Imagine going to a funeral service, and there is a brief visitation before the service starts. Then, as people line up to greet the family and view the body of the deceased, someone walks to the casket.

Of course, most people, if not all, are paying attention to the family. But, suddenly, the person who had walked to the casket, with a loud voice says: “Jon, wake up.”

Surprisingly, Jon wakes and sits up from his casket. This stranger then holds Jon by hand gets him out of the casket.

Who wouldn’t want to meet this stranger?

That’s kind of what happened with Jesus. He didn’t just bring one person back to life, but many, including Lazarus, which is the most popular resurrection Christ had performed when he was here on earth.

According to John, he brought Lazarus back to life in a place not very far from Jerusalem (John 11:1–44). Bethany, the city where Lazarus, with two sisters (Mary and Martha) lived, was only about 2 miles to Jerusalem according to John.

So, a lot of people might have heard of what Jesus had done in that place by raising Lazarus, his friend, who was buried like for over three days.

Now, according to Matthew 21:1-11 and Matthew 27:15-23, Jesus is about to walk into Jerusalem. It’s what we call today Palm Sunday.

It’s also what we know of as Jesus’ triumphal entry.

There are two things about this day the Church has celebrated for years now.

 

 

 

The Crowd welcomes the King

 

 

 

Read Matthew 21:1-11.

Jesus entering Jerusalem meant different things to a lot of people.

But, in God’s eyes, it was all God’s plan, and which was counter to the kind of King the Jews were so hoping to get.

First, Jesus walking here on earth meant that God’s Kingdom was here. People saw it through a lot of signs Jesus performed through healing, demon casting, the feeding of thousands, and more.

Second, many were able to witness about God’s Kingdom through Christ. That’s why we have the four gospels and the other letters we find in the New Testament, and more.

Third, Jesus came as the Prince of Peace. What that means is Christ came as a humble King. That’s the reason he rode on a donkey.

Also, Jesus didn’t come to fight against blood and flesh. He came to shed his own blood for you and I.

 

 

 

The Crowd now rejects the King they welcomed five days ago

 

 

 

Read Matthew 27:15-23.

Now, five days fast forward, the crowd that welcomed Jesus as their King are going to reject him.

Remember that all had to do with God’s plan for humankind that through Christ every human being gets a chance to be saved from sin and death.

Centuries prior to Jesus coming into the world, prophets, like Isaiah, had already foretold about God’s redemptive plan for us all. Read Isaiah 53:7

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 

Jesus, himself, knew that someday, he would be rejected.

He didn’t come to seek popularity. He wasn’t a people-pleaser. He came and lived in obedience to God and God’s plan until the end.

Not that Jesus had no power to get out of God’s plan, he just let things go the way God had designed them.

Bottom line is that there are two major stops Jesus had to make: the cross, and the tomb.

He had to take our place on the cross. That’s why God could not let Barabbas die for us. He could not do what Jesus did for humankind.

Only the true Son of God would do what was prophesied through Isaiah:

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5. 

Also, Barabbas could have stayed dead after three days following his crucifixion. Since Jesus is God, he was able to raise on the third day.

 

 

 

Bringing it altogether

The cross and the empty tomb are the reasons why we celebrate Jesus on Palm Sunday. When Jesus was entering Jerusalem, his eyes were on the cross and the empty tomb. He didn’t care about the fact that the crowd that had welcomed him with lots of celebrations on Palm Sunday would reject him five days later. He had already made the choice to take our place on the cross and be buried in a tomb.

The ultimate mission is to set us free from sin and reassure us of God’s presence through the Holy Spirit. The reason he didn’t stay in the tomb is to walk and talk with you every single day of your life. Praise be to God!