Who is this?
Today is Palm Sunday. It is a day when we are invited to remember, and to reflect upon the celebrations that accompanied Jesus’ entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem at the beginning of the week that would end in the brutality of his crucifixion.
As such, there is a great deal of emotional complexity to this story. On the one hand, we are intended to “feel??? the excitement of the crowds as they joyfully acclaimed the arriving Messiah, whose coming had been foretold and expected for such a long time. On the other, we cannot help but read this story with a certain degree of foreboding, in light of our awareness of what was about to happen to him – how the very crowds who welcomed him with cries of “hosanna??? as he arrived in the city on the back of a donkey would – in only a few short days — be yelling “crucify??? as they drove him out of the city with a cross on his own back.
Because we know this story so well, we tend to assume that the various characters in it must have known what was going on as well. We tend to think that the people of Jerusalem saw Jesus approaching, gently riding into the city, and would have realized, immediately, that the longed-for descendant of David, the Prince of Peace, the rightful King of Jerusalem, the long-expected Messiah, had finally arrived.
And there are details, in the text, that suggest that at least some of the people in Jerusalem seemed to know that something important was happening. We are told how the crowds spread their cloaks on the roads, and cut branches from the trees to lay them in front of his procession, even as they proclaimed “hosanna to the Son of David!??? Clearly, many believed that something incredibly important and special was taking place.
But the text also suggests that there was a lot of confusion, as well, about what the arrival of Jesus meant. In verse 10, we read, “when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’??? The Gospel writer provides an interesting response, on the lips of those who verse 11, simply state, “‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’???
As I read the passage in preparation for today’s service, in found their response to be quite interesting. That is, it is interesting to note that the same group of people – simply named “the crowds??? – who had just sang hosanna and identified him as the long-awaited Son of David (which was a statement of faith) were now simply identifying Jesus by his hometown (which was a statement of fact).
But however they explained it — in faith, or in fact — he was arriving.
And his arrival was not universally acclaimed or understood.
Consider. The question that was placed on the lips of the people of Jerusalem – “who is this???? – reflects and reveals the fact that there was a great deal of confusion about what the arrival of Jesus actually meant.
And, as we gather together at the beginning of the remembrances of this fateful week in the life of Christ and in the Christian story, it is this same question that could be applied to so many of the scenes that we will encounter and ponder.
When he came riding into the city – who is this?
The next day, when he cleared the Temple of the money-changers – who is this?
When he disputed with, and denounced the religious authorities of his day – who is this?
When he declared that the Temple was going to be torn down, and a new Temple would arise in three days – who is this?
When he told stories, in the Temple precincts, about a strange character called the Son of Man whose coming would be a judgement on the world – who is this?
When he called his friends together, when he humbly washed their feet, when he spoke strange words about his flesh and blood as he broke bread and shared a cup of wine with them – who is this?
When he was so emotionally upset by anguish and anxiety, to the point of sweating blood in a dark garden, late at night – who is this?
When he was kissed by a friend and arrested – who is this?
When he stood in the hall in front of Pilate, and was mocked and beaten – who is this?
When he hung from a cross, crying out for God to forgive those who had brutalized him – who is this?
Who is this?
If we think that such a question is somehow outdated or irrelevant, we are wise to realize that this same question that was placed on the lips of the people of Jerusalem as Jesus rode into the city, so long ago, is a question that continues to ring through the ages, even into our own time, our own culture, our own hearts and minds and souls.
Who is this?
We can ponder many dimensions of their simple question. Who were they expecting him to be? What were they expecting him to do for them? And why were their expectations so completely “off the mark??? that his arrival so quickly turned from celebration to rejection? And were they, in any way, ready for the surprising and shocking answers to those questions?
But an equally significant series of questions are how we might answer such questions, on this Palm Sunday, and in the midst of our own lives.
Who is this, who came gently riding into the city, to the acclaim and confusion of the people of Jerusalem – and what does his coming mean for us, and for our lives, even now? There were a lot of questions raised about who he was, and a lot of confusion about what his arrival actually meant.
And, if we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that the presence and purpose of Jesus’ arrival – not just in Jerusalem, but into our world, and into our lives – raises as many questions as it provides clear answers.
Who is this?
Who is Jesus, for us; and what do we expect him to be, for us; and to accomplish, for us?
Such questions evolve and change as we go through our lives – the ways that we might answer the question of who Jesus is, and what we expect him to do, are different at different points on our own journeys.
Sometimes, we want him to be the One who brings forgiveness and restoration to us in our times of brokenness.
Sometimes, we want him to be the miracle worker who can bring healing to us and to those we love.
Sometimes, we want him to be the caring friend who can help us to make sense out of some difficult circumstance or situation in our lives.
Sometimes, we want him to be the powerful Lord who can triumph over some situation and give us that wondrous peace that he claimed could not come from anything or anyone other than him.
Sometimes we simply do not even know what we want him to be, or what we want him to do, and we are filled with as many questions about him, even though we might long to feel filled with faith in him.
Who is this?
It is a question that I cannot completely answer for any of you – but as the events of this week unfold, I would invite you to ask yourself this question — and ask it repeatedly.
Who is this? And what does each step in his journey actually mean for your life?
What does it mean, in your life, that he gently rides into the city of Jerusalem, and into the world, as a Prince of Peace?
What does it mean, in your life, that he challenges religious teachings and proclaims words both of grace and of judgement on the systems of religious, political, economic and social power of his day, and of our own?
What does it mean, in your life, that he demonstrates his power in acts of servanthood and humility – and then challenges those of us who claim to be his followers to imitate his example of loving servanthood?
What does it mean that he cries out for those who have hurt him not to be destroyed but to be forgiven, even as they are tormenting him and destroying his life?
What does it mean that he does not use his power to respond in anger, but instead continues to trust in God, even when all seems lost?
And what does it mean that he faced it all – rejection, abandonment, betrayal, suffering, humiliation, even death itself – and still emerged victorious?
Who is this?
And who is he calling you to be?
A word of warning – like the people of Jerusalem, so long ago, you might be surprised at the answer.
