Passion: The Last Moments of Jesus' Lifeናሙና

Welcome to Palm Sunday. It’s a familiar story: a huge crowd spreading their garments and leafy branches on the road ahead of Jesus as He rode on a donkey toward Jerusalem.In John’s account (John 12:12-13), it says they laid down palm branches. That’s where the name Palm Sunday comes from.

But this wasn’t just any donkey ride. It didn’t happen because Jesus was tired of walking and wanted to give His feet a break. No, Jesus was making a statement, a very bold statement. By entering Jerusalem in this way, He was proclaiming that He was the Messiah. That donkey ride was a fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy found in Zechariah:

9 Rejoice, O people of Zion!

Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!

Look, your King is coming to you.

He is righteous and victorious,

yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—

riding on a donkey’s colt.

Kings, such as King David, rode on donkeys because donkeys were a symbol of peace, humility, and royalty. Jesus deliberately chose to enter Jerusalem as Messiah, knowing it would provoke the Jewish leaders into action against Him. And it certainly did. It set into motion the rest of the events of this week that we will be reflecting on. That’s why many call this week, Holy Week. Beginning with His arrival in Jerusalem, Jesus was starting a holy work not as an itinerant rabbi but as Israel’s long-awaited Messiah.

Yet, as the city loomed larger in His vision, Jesus did something unexpected.

Almost shocking.

He began to weep.

But why Jesus? Shouldn’t you be basking in the adoration, the praise, and the proclamation of the crowd that you are the Son of David? The King? The Messiah? Why the tears?

He answers this question in verses 42-44 of our passage in Luke. He knew they didn’t understand the kind of kingdom He was bringing. He knew they didn’t recognize Him as Emmanuel, God with them. He knew they would soon be screaming for His crucifixion instead of blessing Him. And He knew the consequences for them that were coming in the not-so-distant future: the complete destruction of the city.

Knowing this brought deep sorrow to His heart even though He was surrounded by praise.

And so, He wept.

Knowing what was ahead in this week, knowing the suffering that He would experience, you would think Jesus might hesitate before deciding to go to Jerusalem. But we read in Luke:

“As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” - Luke 9:51 NLT

He was determined to see it through. Why? Because all of His mission - seeking and saving the lost, preaching the good news to the poor, proclaiming freedom to the prisoners, healing the sick, the lame, the deaf and the blind-all this He knew would be culminated at the end of this week when He would defeat death. And He came to do that for each one of us. For you.

He set His face to go to Jerusalem, thinking about you. He came for you. This whole week was for you.

For YOU.

That’s the kind of King He is.

REFLECTION QUESTION

Take some time and think about how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday for you. What are your thoughts? What do you feel? What do you want to say to him?