Foreword

by Dr. Jacob Mathew, Malankara World

My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from you.
My Lord and my God, give me everything that brings me closer to you.
My Lord and my God, detach me from myself to give my all to you.
-- Saint Nicholas of Flüe from a prayer attributed to him

On Palm Sunday (Hosanna Sunday), we are entering into Passion Week or Holy Week. We had been praying and fasting for the last 42 days to prepare to partake in the mysteries of the Holy Week, a week during which Jesus was crucified, died, buried and on the third day, rose again defeating death and Satan by offering himself as a ransom for our sins. Holy week is when Jesus accomplished the mission He incarnated into the world for - to redeem the mankind lost due to the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

This is the most important week in the church liturgical calendar. What happened during the last week of Jesus' life? One-fourth of gospel record covers the events from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. It's as if someone hit the "Slow Motion" button so we could focus on each event that took place when Jesus came to Jerusalem knowing that he was about to die on the cross.

The first step for Jesus was to go to Jerusalem. We know that Disciples were very concerned about Jesus going to Bethany to raise Lazar. Before undertaking the trip to Jerusalem, Jesus took His disciples aside and told them,

Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over… to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.
(Matt 20:18-19)

He then sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tethered, and a colt with her."
(Matt 21:2)

The ass symbolizes the humility of Christ and the colt, a "beast of burden," ( cf. Zec 9:9) His poverty. These are the two "marks" by which Christ enters the Holy City, and as He enters His Passion.

The use of the donkey for his entrance to Jerusalem fulfilled an ancient prophecy:

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass"
(Zech 9:9).

For a different perspective on why this colt was chosen by Jesus Christ, read the article in Malankara World written by Rev. Fr. Jose Daniel, titled, "Story of a Redeemed Donkey" (in Malayalam). You can find it here:

http://www.MalankaraWorld.com/Library/Lent/Passion/Story%20of%20a%20Donkey-paitel-achen.pdf

According to Jose Achen, Jesus accomplished the task of redeeming this donkey from death. So, our Savior not only started the mission of redeeming the humankind from death, he also redeemed the donkey he used to travel to Jerusalem!

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, He was recognized as a King. The people took off their cloaks, laid them on the ass and colt, and "he sat upon them," a welcome traditionally offered to royalty.

The people, and particularly the Pharisees, were quite aware of the prophecy of Zechariah. So, not only that riding the donkey offered certain amount of humility to Jesus, it also provided certain solemnity about the episode that impressed those present. At the same time, it irritated the Pharisees. By fulfilling the prophecy, our Lord was showing everyone (especially the Pharisees who understood the prophecy) that he was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament.

…when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken and asked, "Who is this?" And the crowds replied, "This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee."
(Matt 21:10)

Christ was greeted with the prophetic words referring to the enthronement of the Messiah, contained in Psalm 118:26:

"Blessed be he who enters in the name of the Lord!"

But the people also acclaimed him as king. This is a great messianic demonstration, which infuriates the Pharisees further. One of the acclamations, "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest", echoes the announcement made by the angel to the shepherds on Christmas night (cf. Lk 2:14). (1)

Jesus cleansed the temple court of all the merchants. Later he cried lamenting on the future destruction of Jerusalem:

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."
- Luke 19:41-44

It was a day filled with emotional ups and downs for the newly crowned King. Today he was the crowned Messiah; but in a few days, the same people who shouted Hosanna to him will shout to crucify Him.

Please read the companion article by Dr. Michael Youssef below to reflect on the Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.

Reference:

1. "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

2. "The Coming Passion of the Church" by Mark Mallett

Introduction by Dr. Michael Youssef

"The question is, is He your King? Is He the King of your life? Do you give all of your allegiance, soul and body, to Him? For He has done that for you."
-Dr. Michael Youssef

This Palm Sunday, we celebrate Jesus' triumphant entrance into Jerusalem as the Messiah. On the first Palm Sunday, our King rode into the city humbly - not on a white horse, but on a donkey; not on a red carpet, but on a path marked by palm fronds.

From His lowly birth in a manger to His shameful death on the Cross, Jesus set Himself apart from all earthly rulers. He redefined what it meant to be king. When arguments arose among the disciples about which of them would be the greatest, Jesus reminded them, "The greatest among you will be your servant" (Matthew 23:11). Instead of using His power to manipulate others, He used it to serve - healing the sick, extending forgiveness, and loving the broken. He freely laid His life down for others.

This week, as we reflect on Jesus' humble entrance into Jerusalem, His sacrifice on the Cross, and His glorious resurrection, let us ask ourselves: Is Christ the King of my life? Am I fully trusting Jesus with everything I am and everything I have?