Palm Sunday Message

Parades of Power

Mark 11:1-11

April 1, 2012

JW McNeill

It turns out that there was more than one parade going into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday.

We all know about the one parade. Procession. With Jesus going into Jerusalem on a donkey, colt. Palm branches and children singing.

We know about how Jesus had sent a disciple or two to get a colt and bring it to him.

We have heard perhaps that this sign of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a humble animal hearkens back to an oracle of the prophet Zechariah 9:9 and 10.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

But there was indeed another procession going into Jerusalem that day. It was a Roman procession.

You see the Roman governor would go to Jerusalem at this time of year because of the Passover festival.

Roman governor did not reside in Jerusalem. Lived in a newly constructed city called Caesarea Maritima, Caesar on the Sea about 60 miles west of Jerusalem.  Nice seaside resort kind of place. Waterfront. Private beach, perhaps.  Cooler breezes. Didn’t have to mingle with the locals very much.

Jerusalem, the traditional capitol of the Jewish people was hostile to the Roman occupation.

But because of the Jewish festival of Passover, the Roman governor and companies of Roman soldiers made their way inland and uphill to be in Jerusalem for the holiday.

They went to Jerusalem, however, not in reverence or out of respect for the holy days of the Jewish people. Instead they went to keep order.

Remember, this holiday was a remembrance and celebration of the time when God had delivered the nation of Israel from its bondage to another foreign power, namely Egypt.

This was a holiday that could stir up thoughts of liberation and freedom. Rome needed its governor and its army close by to make sure that any dreams of salvation in the present would be quickly and brutally put down.

This parade of power entered Jerusalem from the west, as a sign that Caesar was in charge and would brook no rival.

This imperial procession must certainly have been impressive. Cavalry on horseback, foot soldiers, banners, weapons, the beating of drums. It was designed to convey if not shock, at least awe to those who looked upon it and heard the tromping of warriors’ boots in the street.

I imagine the onlookers silent – and resentful. This is an insult to our celebration of our liberation from slavery under Pharaoh.

At the same time, from the east, there entered Jesus on a donkey. He too was coming to Jerusalem on account of the Passover festival. He and his disciples had been heading toward Jerusalem for quite a while.

And those closest to him had come to understand that he was going to Jerusalem not simply as a religious pilgrim as a sign of piety, but because the truth was crystallizing around him that he was the messiah, the Christ, the anointed one, that is – the true King.

There was something of a shadow, of course, around this parade because those closest to Jesus had also heard from Jesus that he would be killed in Jerusalem. But then, he was always saying strange, unexpected things. Perhaps it meant something else, or it was a warning just to make them more vigilant.

And so from the opposite side of the city, from deeper within the Jewish people, Jesus enters Jerusalem, in a parade which displays no power. No soldiers, no weapons of war, no pounding of military drums. Simply the one who enters as King, messiah, the Christ, the anointed one of God. At once both victorious and humble.

If we compare these two parades you might come to the conclusion that one is worldly power and one is divine power. From the west we have Roman political, military, economic power and from the east we have Jesus entering Jerusalem with divine power. They really are not opposed to each other. Perhaps we can simply find a way to combine the two.

But hear this clearly: This is not possible. It is not possible to combine the two. You see, the problem is that the Romans do not see themselves as simply an earthly power. Their emperor, their Caesar Tiberius, like Caesar Augustus, and Caesar Julius before him were not mortal political rulers. No, no. They were gods. They were gods who had been destined since Aeneas had escaped ruined Troy to rule from Italy and bring peace to the world. A peace based on the arts of war and politics – political and martial arts that bring all the known world into the subjection of Roman power. A power that would tolerate no rival.

The prophet Zechariah says that the days of the warhorse and the chariot and the battlebow are to be cut off. This King will command peace to the nations: a dominion from sea to sea and to the ends of the earth.

The whole New Testament proclaims that it is not Caesar and Jesus. It is Caesar or Jesus. It is either the Empire of Caesar or the Kingdom of God – or as perhaps you prefer with me:

The party of God.

The dance of God.

The revolution of God.

The dream of God.

The mission of God.

Jesus says quite clearly: You cannot serve two masters.

So the depth of this day is quite clear. The atmosphere of each of parades is quite distinct.

The military parade of the Romans is met with silence and resentment. It is met with the shame subjugation.

The parade of God’s power is met with rejoicing, “Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!

The parade of the power of God is met with rejoicing at the image of liberation.

God liberated us from the cruel slavery of Pharaoh, is God to deliver us also from the yoke of Rome?

Holy week stands before us. We are presented on this Palm Sunday with a parade of power that enters from one side of the city: an army that will rely on its weapons, intimidation, violence and brute force. Allied with this parade were the fearful and the cowed. Those who thought it was better to follow the orders of those with the power of wealth and the power of the sword.

Across the city another parade of power comes through the gate. Yet this power is quite different. It is the power of God which finds its way in love and mercy, healing and compassion, humility and justice. Allied with this parade are the hopeful and the joyful who shout Hosannas to the King of Kings.

These parades clashed on Good Friday and on Easter the victor is revealed.