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My heart aches a bit whenever I read this passage describing Jesus’s grand entrance into Jerusalem. When he entered the city riding on a donkey, a huge throng of people poured out of the city to welcome him. They were thrilled to see Jesus; they waved palm branches like they were flags and they shouted “Hosanna,” which meant “save now.” These people were stepping over each other to show Jesus their undying affection—crying, smiling, waving, laying down their cloaks, cutting branches, shouting songs of praise, and declaring his righteousness. Their shouts and cheers echoed off the city walls.
But when we read ahead to Matthew 27, the mood of this same mob has turned sinister. Just a few days prior, people were rushing to give Jesus their cloaks; now members of the crowd tear off his clothes and cast lots for them. Instead of laying branches at his feet, the people urge men to nail Jesus’s precious feet onto thick wooden planks—a cursed cross. Cries of “Hosanna” turn to a cruel cheer: “Crucify him, crucify him!”
How could the same people who once gave Jesus such a majestic welcome now be clamoring for his death?
While I’d like to imagine I could never be one of them, I am no better than that. How many times have I praised God’s name on Sunday, only on Thursday to question his goodness?
Oh friend, you and I are no different than those fickle people who heralded Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem. Haven’t you said, “Lord, I surrender all to you,” yet failed him on that very promise? Or which one of us has not taken for granted his blessings—the same blessings for which we insistently prayed?
As we journey this week leading up to Easter, take a deep, honest look into your heart. Reflect on all that your Savior has done for you on the cross. For the longer you meditate on exactly what Christ did for you on his cross, the lowlier and more humble your heart will be. And out of a heart of humility, you will reflect sincere and lasting gratitude toward your Lord and Savior.
Pray with me: Jesus, I don’t want to take for granted all that you’ve done for me. I don’t want to only praise you when I think you are going to do things the way I want them done. Like the psalmist David, I pray that you would create in me a pure heart. Help me to be steadfast in my love and adoration for you.
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