The audience stands and applauds at the remarkable words you have spoken. The event is a success. Then, at the next event, they follow the crowd and taunt you. For some people, that is their existence every day on social media. One post and everyone loves and likes it and you are a genius. The same in real life too. The next post you are slandered and considered horrific, in real life too. Jesus understood these two polar opposites from crowds of people.
It's a sunny Sunday morning. Jesus asks his disciples to go get a colt or a young donkey. As they bring the donkey back to Jesus, they notice that crowds of disciples are gathering around him. They were all at the entrance of the city of Jerusalem. Some of the disciples laid their own clothes and blankets on the colt and helped Jesus on it. People who were wandering the streets noticed that a large crowd was gathering around a man on a donkey. They peered at him and recognized him.
In royal fashion, the disciples created a red-carpet event for Jesus, even though they did not have a red carpet. They took their outer coats and laid them down on the road for the donkey to step on them as he entered the city. Their voices rose in jubilation and some of them grabbed palm leaves off the trees near them and began waving them in celebration of Jesus. Their voices rose so loud that everyone who had gathered in the middle of town noticed and joined in with the crowds. Everyone loves a celebration.
Everyone was joyous except for the few who always grumble. The Pharisees shouted above the noise for Jesus to silent his disciples. Jesus replied, “If they were to keep silent, even the stones would cry out.” (Luke 19: 40, CSB) The people cried out their exaltation. “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 19: 38, CSB) They called him their king. They claimed that he came in the name of the Lord. They knew who he was and is.
Four days later, everything drastically changed. The celebration took a sudden turn to death. The chanting crowd that celebrated Jesus on Sunday, was calling for his death on Thursday. On Friday, Jesus was crucified, but the following Sunday, three days later, brought the entire event to a full circle. Jesus rose from the dead. Many of us know the basic story of Jesus’s death and resurrection, but have we ever recognized that the Sunday before Jesus died changed everything. It was on that day that the religious leaders recognized that Jesus had more power over the people than them. It was that day that the religious leaders realized that if Jesus were to continue, their impurities would come to light. So, they intervened, but had no idea that they were part of the plan for everything to change for the best.
On Palm Sunday 2011, people entered my church rejoicing with celebration that the following week would have pomp and circumstance celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Then, my pastor made the announcement. “Join us next week for Easter at our NEW LOCATION!” That’s right we received information that day that we were moving! There was no planning, no committee meetings, no arguments. Everyone was surprised. That day changed everything for our church.
We moved to the corner of La Brea and Hollywood Blvd. We have remained there for eleven years. We moved quickly because we received free rent for a year. Why would anyone have weeks of discussion and waste money? I have been involved with churches as a member and a staff member that would have resisted this change. Like the Pharisees, they could only see the present. They were blind to the future of the resurrection. It is a common blindness with most people, even in the church.
That little gathering grew. We adapted when we had to go online. We have had thousands come to Jesus. We have a beautiful leadership team that creates an atmosphere of love. We have a praise team that creates our own worship songs. Hollywood has come to embrace us. None of it would have occurred if we didn’t allow for that change from that Palm Sunday to the following Sunday, Easter.
Jesus told the resistant Pharisees that even the stones would cry out if they silenced the human beings. Jesus will receive praise, whether people gather around him or not. What the Pharisees did not understand is that if they create chaos, Jesus will create change. We may not enjoy or appreciate the process of the change, but once we realize the end result, we praise Jesus.
Change is difficult. Before the pandemic, I used to claim that I loved change. I’m not so sure if I love to change as much as I appreciate the result of change. The process of change can be painful. It can require a sacrifice. Even though many Christians claim to be supporters of sacrifice, it’s not easy. There are days when I don’t want to sacrifice. I want others to finally sacrifice something to make my life more comfortable. Life works best when we sacrifice instead of waiting for others to sacrifice.
At the end of that week with Palm Sunday, Jesus sacrificed everything for us. He changed the script. He moved the world in just a few days. He fulfilled the law. He loved everyone in the entire world and made the greatest sacrifice. His enemies thought they won on Friday, but Sunday came, and many of his enemies became his followers.
It all started with a celebration. It all happened because Jesus is the change maker. When we follow Jesus, we must change our direction in our lives to follow him. We may not like the process of the change. We may have people in our lives that do not understand and judge us, but the end result will be a life of faith, love, and hope. The greatest result will be love. As we enter this week, let us enter it with an understanding that change is coming. Jesus is going to change everything! Let us change with him.
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