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Jesus Enters Jerusalem
(Matthew 21.1-11; Mark 11.1-11; John 12.12-19)
28When Jesus had finished saying all this, he went on toward Jerusalem. 29As he was getting near Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples on ahead. 30He told them, “Go into the next village, where you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here. 31If anyone asks why you are doing this, just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”
32They went off and found everything just as Jesus had said. 33While they were untying the donkey, its owners asked, “Why are you doing that?”
34They answered, “The Lord needs it.”
35Then they led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back and helped Jesus get on. 36And as he rode along, the people spread clothes on the road in front of him. 37When Jesus started down the Mount of Olives, his large crowd of disciples were happy and praised God because of all the miracles they had seen. 38 They shouted,
“Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven
and glory to God.”
39Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, make your disciples stop shouting!”
40But Jesus answered, “If they keep quiet, these stones will start shouting.”
41When Jesus came closer and could see Jerusalem, he cried 42and said:
It is too bad that today your people don't know what will bring them peace! Now it is hidden from them. 43Jerusalem, the time will come when your enemies will build walls around you to attack you. Armies will surround you and close in on you from every side. 44They will level you to the ground and kill your people. Not one stone in your buildings will be left on top of another. This will happen because you did not see that God had come to save you.
Jesus in the Temple
(Matthew 21.12-17; Mark 11.15-19; John 2.13-22)
45When Jesus entered the temple, he started chasing out the people who were selling things. 46 He told them, “The Scriptures say, ‘My house should be a place of worship.’ But you have made it a place where robbers hide!”
47 Each day, Jesus kept on teaching in the temple. So the chief priests, the teachers of the Law of Moses, and some other important people tried to have him killed. 48But they could not find a way to do it, because everyone else was eager to listen to him.
Reflect
I still have a scrapbook in my closet that my father made of clippings from the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. What a spectacular event! Such pageantry, such beauty and so much pomp and ceremony! But one could easily say it was fitting for the coronation of the Queen of the British Empire.
So what should then have been appropriate for the coronation of the King of the Universe or Author of Creation? Surely it would be beyond imagination. Well in fact it was beyond what we might imagine for this occasion. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem seemed so ordinary – so down to earth.
Get me a donkey and make sure people have some clothes and palm tree branches to spread and wave.
I believe he understood how vastly different his message was from the religion of the Pharisees. But he also wanted them to understand the consequences for not recognizing what will truly bring peace. In The Message version he says “…your enemies are going to bring in heavy artillery.” Religion will fail you. “Not one stone in your buildings will be left on top of another.”
The passage goes on to underline his disdain for religion in contrast to the life he described in the Sermon on the Mount as he throws out the money changers who had created what one Bible version calls “a religious bazaar.”
A proper coronation of a sovereign or religious leader is designed to place them on a lofty pedestal, underlining the importance of the institution and their authority as leader, setting them far apart from their constituents.
The message here is that, yes we can and should celebrate Christ’s coming but the story isn’t about the coronation of a leader of a much to be revered system but rather the Incarnation.
Respond
Lord, we celebrate your coming to live among us rather than simply over us. We forsake our dependency on form, ritual and organization. And we commit ourselves to living in relationship with you.
Laurie Cook
Laurie has had a successful career in retail management and consulting. He has served on the Board of World Relief Canada and later became President. He was a founding Chair of the Integral Alliance, an international alliance of Christian Relief and Development agencies and has served on the Board of Canadian Council of Christian Charities. Laurie is an avid cyclist and is married with three adult boys.