A Bittersweet Entry
I’ve been thinking a lot about the Palm Sunday story.
As well known as the story is, I think there is another side to it.
A side many people miss.
What they miss is seeing the day from Jesus’ point of view.
When people think about Palm Sunday, they usually think about how Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a colt with people laying palm branches before Him, shouting,
“Hosanna! Glory to God in the highest!” John 12:12-15 (NIV)
Many people loved Jesus so they cheered for Him loudly.
This was a very special and important time.
Jesus was declaring Himself king in a very humble way.
He was fulfilling prophecy that spoke of Him being the Messiah. (Zechariah 9:9)
It was a time of celebration.
That’s a very important part of the story.
What a lot of people don’t realize, though…
It was also a time of sadness.
A few minutes earlier, as Jesus was preparing to ride into Jerusalem, He looked on the city and cried.
He saw this city full of people He loved so much – people He was about to die for.
He knew that many of them did not love Him back and that many would perish because of this lack of love.