Easter Devotion: Palm Sunday

By Chad Meeks

Pastor

Read Mark 11:1-11.

Ever had a bad day? By that, I mean, have you ever been in a bad mood? We all have. Bad moods are strange when you think about it from a Christian perspective: We act in a way we know we shouldn’t, but we really don’t care at the time. When I have a foul attitude, I realize I'm acting contrary to the way I should, and contrary to my normal attitude (at least, for the most part). In my heart, I feel a bit two-faced in those moments. In reality, though, I’m acting perfectly in line with the sinful, fickle human heart. 

I think about this contrarian human nature when I read passages of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. People were flocking the streets, laying down their coats, waving palm branches, and singing Jesus’ praises by shouting, “Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!” They were welcoming the Messiah. They were rejoicing that the Prince of Peace had come. I imagine there were tears of joy. I imagine there were men and women overwhelmed with exuberant emotion–finally the Savior has come. Our salvation is at hand. And yet, later that week, some–if not all–of these praisers would call for His execution. 

How can that be? Why such a sudden and drastic reversal? What had He done to change their mood so forcefully? Though I don’t deny that the provocateurs had their excuses; ultimately, we must admit the attitude flip highlights the fickleness of our own hearts. There are days I am ardently and passionately following Jesus. Then there are days I wane in my devotion to and my desire for the Lord. We are among that antagonistic Jerusalem crowd. We praise Jesus one day and profane Him the next. Yet, in a sense, this is why He entered Jerusalem. This is why He came. 

We are incapable of pleasing God through human righteousness. Our righteousness is but filthy rags–utterly useless at satisfying the wrath and justice of God. Completely and totally futile at sanctifying our own souls. But Jesus, knowing our traitorous hearts and unworthy status, still entered Jerusalem as a Prince of Peace so that He might die for us unholy backstabbers. And He takes us and makes us righteous. He makes that which is unholy, holy by His blood. 

So our bad days don’t lead to a bad eternity. Our sometimes ugly attitudes do not disqualify us from salvation. Our salvation is secured in His redemptive work, not our human effort.