Palm Sunday 2025
We have heard this statement in our lives I am sure. "I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news..."? It’s a classic vaudeville set-up line. Did you ever notice how when you look at the original events of Holy Week, the week we are starting today, what happened from Palm Sunday to Good Friday is almost like one of those "Good news and Bad news" jokes?
The good news is that Jesus Christ reached the peak of his popularity this week, riding in a triumphal procession into the holy city of Jerusalem.
There was a big, spontaneous parade, which was yet prophetically predicted in the Old Testament. There were adoring masses, thronging crowds, everybody turned out, the disciples were very impressed, and the Pharisees and the Sadducees realized that they had underestimated this simple Galilean teacher.
Riding this crest of public approval Jesus rode that donkey right to the Temple, the very center of the Jewish faith, and began to teach and preach.
From Sunday to Thursday Jesus was unstoppable. His enemies tried to trick him several times -- but to no avail; each time he turned the tables on them and exposed their treachery. They thought about arresting him, but were afraid of what the people would do. No one even seriously complained when he overturned the tables of the money-changers.
And of course, in this same period Jesus set the tone for his church, and telling them (and us), "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." He instituted the Lord’s Supper and provided us the power to be his disciples, doing his work, in this world. Like I said, the good news is from Sunday to Thursday Jesus was unstoppable. So, what’s the bad news? On Thursday he was betrayed and arrested and on Friday he was hung on a cross and killed.
Today the palms - tomorrow the passion -- good news and bad news - but it’s not a joke. There’s nothing funny about the fact that the same people who shouted "Hosanna" “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord,” on Sunday//// shouted "Crucify him," just five days later. Everybody’s hero became an object of scorn and hatred, a bloody sacrifice.
"Don’t be like those who cheered one day and jeered the next. Don’t wave your palm branches today, then forget all about Jesus and his or should I say your - mission tomorrow. Be faithful and see yourself as Jesus’ loyal follower every day, every moment, of your life."
That’s a good message - But, this morning, just for a moment, let’s put ourselves in Jesus’ place.
What was Christ’s experience with all this good news / bad news from Palm Sunday to Good Friday?
Paul gives us good insight: Jesus... being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, (think "flaunted") but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!
Did you hear it? "He made himself nothing.... he took on the very nature of a servant .... he humbled himself ... he made himself obedient to death." Jesus knew the purpose of his life to be that of Savior, not celebrity. He did not require people to like Him, just listen and believe in Him. He knew this was the only way for sinners to be saved and no issue of popularity or acceptance could deter him from it.
Jesus came to Jerusalem neither excited nor deceived by the applause of the crowds. He didn’t allow himself to get depressed over the seemingly complete reversal of fortune he would endure.
Jesus knew what would happen to him - he even knew what would happen to others, like Judas and Peter and the rest of his disciples. In both popular acclaimand in denial and rejection, Jesus made it plain to everyone that he was not swayed by feelings or events of the moment, but rather was walking step by step along a path which fulfilled the heavenly Father’s will, for him and through him for all the world.
It didn’t matter if the path seemed to reach a peak from which there was no way to go but down.
Jesus knew that his goal was not the top of the mountain, not popularity or power or applause. It didn’t matter that the path clearly led into, the valley of the shadow of death.
Jesus found, and regardless of the suffering that he knew he would undergo, Jesus chose to be true to his mission, he chose to be obedient; and he walked the path to its end.
And what happened? “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
It is a lesson for all of us to remember. Or as Paul puts it, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."
If we depend upon the mountain top events of life to give us reward and satisfaction, we may never achieve them. And even if you reach the top, that only leaves one way to go in the weeks and months and years ahead. It like being on a roller coaster – there is a long ride to the top, but after you reach the top comes a rapid and scary descent.
On the other hand, we like Christ have the opportunity to walk our own unique path of obedience toward God. Whether this path is up hill or down hill, bad news and good news, walking it with the attitude of Christ Jesus, an attitude to faithful choosing, we realize it is the final destination that counts.
The journey from Palm Sunday to Good Friday wasn’t just a good news / bad news joke. There was the final good news which redeemed it - and us all. Jesus rose from the dead-on Easter, and because of that God can take any situation - no matter how bad it seems, even if it is the day of our own death, and use it to move us closer to our final destination.
You and I are going to walk out of here this morning into many more sweet successes, and many more bitter disappointments. What saves us from having to helplessly ride a roller coaster over these ups and downs, is faith in Christ Jesus. His obedience, love and power urge us to press forward in our own obedience to God.
Faith trusts Easter is coming.
Faith knows that meaning in life is found when we choose to follow the path God has marked out for us. May that blessed destination make a difference for you too, as you faithfully follow through ups and down, peaks and valleys, highs and low, - good news and bad news. Amen.