From Triumph to Trial

One of the greatest days in the Church calendar in addition to Christmas and Easter is Palm Sunday. This is the day we celebrate Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem. There were crowds of cheering people and he was accompanied by his admiring disciples. Christ's popularity was never higher. He had just raised Lazarus from the dead and there were many people in Jerusalem from Galilee who had seen the miracles and heard him teach. However, by Friday, things had radically changed. Jesus was betrayed by Judas, deserted by his followers, experienced the mockery of a trial, jeered by a crowd and finally put to death on a cross between two criminals. What happened--what went wrong to change things? Who was responsible for this reversal and why did it turn out this way?

We have already recounted the events of two thousand years ago. Let us look at the various people involved and then lastly, explain why this happened. Considering the possibilities of who was responsible for things going from triumph to trial, let us examine the biblical account in Matthew 26. Someone might suggest as is often the case when a leader falls from grace that he did something to cause this. This was not the reality with Jesus Christ. We might ask if one of his staff of followers did something. Judas to be sure played a major role by going to the Jewish authorities and offering to betray Christ for money. The Jewish religious leaders--the establishment--also played a major part. Apparently, their problem with Jesus was fueled by their jealousy and suspicion of him because of his popularity with the people. They were clearly threatened by this and were also at variance with him on his teaching. Jesus frequently corrected what had been corrupted by man down through the centuries on such things as the Sabbath. He emphasized "the spirit" and not "the letter" of the law, which is legalism.

Additionally, there were the two trumped-up charges that involved the temple and his messiahship and divinity. On the first point, Jesus had said, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up again in three days" (John 2:19). The context of this quote reveals that Jesus was speaking about his body and the resurrection and not the temple which was the focal point of Judaism. When he was asked if he were the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus replied, "Yes, it is as you say" (Matthew 26:63-64). A key issue that still separates Jews and Christians is not so much whether Jesus is the Messiah but that Christ could be human and divine. The prophecy in Isaiah 9 indicates that this indeed is true. (See v. 6-7).

Looking for other people who also bear some responsibility, we would have to point out the crowds who were led to call out, "Crucify him!" when given the opportunity to choose between Jesus and Barabbas. The rulers at the time also deserve mention. Pilate, the Governor, and Herod, the Tetrarch over Galilee, could have seen that he received justice but each did not. Jesus was crucified by Roman soldiers because only the Romans had authority to execute someone. No doubt the soldiers would say that they were "just carrying out orders."

All of the above played a part in Jesus' death. But according to the New Testament, the real reason that Jesus went to the cross was to make atonement for the sins of the world (See Acts 2:23, 1 John 2:2 & Romans 3:25). This means that your sins and my sins put Jesus on the cross. He gave his live to be our Saviour. This is ultimately the reason that things happened as they did during Holy Week.

His Cross and Ours

On Palm Sunday the Church celebrates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Jesus rode into the City on a donkey accompanied by His disciples and to the greeting of the crowds who shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!" (Matthew 21:9). Unfortunately the joy of Palm Sunday begins to dissipate as we remember the events of Holy Week two thousand years ago that culminated with the night of agony in Gethsemane and the suffering on Calvary's cross on Good Friday. The Gospel accounts clearly state that Jesus knew in advance these turn of events before He went to Jerusalem.

After Peter's great confession at Caesarea Philippi, that Christ is the Son of the Living God, "Jesus began to explain to his disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life" (Matthew 16:21). Observe that the word "must" is repeated in this verse to emphasize the necessity of Christ's going to Jerusalem to suffer and His being crucified (see Matthew 20:19). The reason that Jesus left Heaven and came to earth was for the purpose of His sacrificial death on the cross. This was the Father's will for His life that He faced and struggled with in the Garden the night before. Jesus realized that there was no getting around the cross and He went to Calvary to finish the mission for which He was sent. When Peter heard Jesus talking about this, he "took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" (Matthew 16:22). Twice Peter used the word "never" when he addressed the Lord. Jesus' stern response further underscores the necessity of the cross (see verse 23). Jesus heard the voice of His adversary, Satan, in the words of Peter.

Jesus continues saying this to His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26). While Jesus was facing the cross, He stated the necessity of the cross for us as well. For Jesus the cross (a means of execution and not merely a burden) meant His literal death. The requirement for Christ's followers is given as a threefold challenge: 1) Denial of self, 2) Taking up the cross, and 3) Following Jesus. The message of the cross is not an easy one. It runs counter with our human nature; but if we are going to be true disciples of Christ, then there is no avoiding what Jesus stated.

The shallow contemporary "gospel" that is so prevalent today has commercialized Christmas and made it a gift-giving extravaganza. The birth of a baby is always a joyous event and the wise men did present gifts to Jesus' parents; but the first Christmas was, after all, the birthday of the Savior. Easter has also been marketed as a celebration of hope and renewal that includes the Easter Bunny and eggs. There would be no joy of the resurrection, however, if there had not been His death on the cross. This is why the cross is the symbol of Christianity.