Palm Sunday is the day Christians remember the irony of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem as he was greeted with shouts of “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!” To appreciate the irony of Palm Sunday, it is important to recall both the history and the expectations behind the shouts of Hosanna. Dr. Ira Brent Driggers writes about both the history and the expectations of these shouts.
It was King David who made Jerusalem the capital of his kingdom, and it was David’s son, King Solomon, who built the first temple in Jerusalem.… Bystanders welcome Jesus into the city not only with the standard pilgrimage refrain of Psalm 118:26 (“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”) but with an explicitly royal/Davidic elaboration: “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!” (Mark 11:9-10). They also ceremoniously cover the ground in ways that signal Jesus’ royal identity …
The tragic irony, of course, is that Jesus is headed to a shameful execution—and he knows it. … Not that Jesus’ mission per se is to die. Rather, Jesus knows that his unbridled approach to human wholeness has proven too disruptive and offensive for those wielding power. Jesus chooses death because toning down God’s healing love—to avoid death—is not an option for the Messiah. Jesus can only love at full speed.
http://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/sunday-of- the-passion-palm-sunday-2/49620; Ira Brent Driggers
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he was greeted with shouts of praise that had been shaped by almost 1,000 years of history and expectations for the coming kingdom of David. The irony of Palm Sunday is that it will take only 5 days for shouts of Hosanna to turn into shouts of crucifixion as the parade of Palm Sunday turned into the death march of Good Friday. The irony of Good Friday is that the path of Jesus’ crucifixion through the cross also leads to the path of Jesus’ resurrection through the empty tomb.
Next Sunday, followers of the risen Christ will proclaim faith in an irony that is greater than the irony of Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Next Sunday followers of Jesus will proclaim the irony of Easter as we worship the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
May God bless us during this Holy Week as we live into the dawning of a new day.
The Irony of Palm Sunday
by Pastor Marc Brown
April 10, 2022
Accompanying Scriptures: Mark 11:1-11
Fort Hill United Methodist Church
Order of Worship for April 10, 2021
Scripture Lesson Mark 11:1-11
The Good News “The Irony of Palm Sunday”
Music “Hosanna” by Hillsong Worship
Scripture Reading Worship Arts Kids Dramatic Scripture Reading
Prayer
Blessing
Closing Music “Ride on in Majesty” by David Paxton
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