There are two important lessons in Palm Sunday that have a significant bearing on current history. A crowd of people gathered around Jesus as he made his way into Jerusalem. They shouted blessings and praises to God for the King of Israel. They threw palm branches and clothing in his path, honoring him as a king. It was a joyous celebration as Jesus rode into the city.
One week later, the crowds of people gathered outside of the governor’s palace shouting for Jesus’ death.
Lesson number one is the fickleness of humanity. The crowds were caught up in the moment as Jesus entered Jerusalem. Some, the righteous, cried out words of praise, and the rest of the group followed suit, speaking words of praise. In less than a week, the crowd shouted out the death of Jesus. Why?
Fallen humanity is fickle, and creator God knows this. The entry of Jesus into the city drew a lot of attention. A joyous crowd gladly joined in offering their voices and so garnering the attention of the religious leaders.
Jesus did his part by upsetting the vendors around the temple, turning over tables, and releasing animals. His actions brought the rebuke of the religious leaders. There was something special about this Passover, and Jesus knew it. Perhaps the religious leaders had some sense of it, but they saw an opportunity and took it.
The public trial of Jesus at the governor’s palace drew throngs of people. The religious leaders positioned their cronies throughout the crowds with one instruction; stir up the people to have him crucified. Once the governor announced that he found no fault in Jesus, the cronies went to work barking out; he should be crucified. It wasn’t long before the crowd joined in.
The Bible says that if the prince of the power of air knew what was going on, he would not have had Jesus crucified. Stirring up the crowd to demand crucifixion played right into God’s plan.
The second lesson about Palm Sunday is the power of God’s will. He knew that fickle people would be stirred up to welcome Jesus and call for his crucifixion. It was time for the plan to be fully executed. The entirety of Jesus’ life pointed to this moment in his plan. There was nothing that could stop of from happening.
When the man of peace enters the global scene, he will appease the fears of frightened humanity. The devil’s cronies will have masterfully stirred up the people to cry out for a solution to a global problem, thus setting the stage for the man of peace—otherwise known as the antichrist—to step forward.
God’s will once again being completely fulfilled.
As Palm Sunday is enjoyed around the globe, let it be a reminder of Jesus’ promise of return and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan to return humanity to his and her intended place of authority.