Who is this?
With both our Liturgy of the Palms and our reading of the Passion today, we hear a lot of words about Jesus. We hear Matthew’s story of his triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, and then we hear about everything that fell apart, how he was betrayed, tested, put on trial, beaten, mocked, crucified, and died. It’s a whole lot to take in, and things change very quickly. But in the midst of all of these words that we heard this morning, there are three words that might be the most important words in all of scripture. They come from the people of the city of Jerusalem. We’re told, “When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘who is this?’”
Who is this?
Who is Jesus?
Our readings offer many answers. King of the Jews. The Messiah. Son of David. A Prophet. A Teacher. Son of God. When he was put on trial it was precisely this question he was called on to give an answer for. The religious authorities ask, “tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” And Pilate asks “Are you the King of the Jews?”
Who is this?
I wonder what the people of Jerusalem were making of him as they tried to answer this question, watching him riding into their city, on a donkey. It’s likely, this being Passover and Jerusalem being extra crowded, that the Romans made sure to have a strong presence in the city at that time. In fact, it’s possible that Pilate was riding into the city through a different gate, on a much better road, less than a mile away from where Jesus entered. He would not have been on a donkey, but on a war horse, with all his soldiers accompanying him. This makes quite a contrast with Jesus, on a donkey, his motley crew of followers coming in with him, waving palms, calling out “Hosanna!”, meaning “Save Us”.
Save us, Son of David!
His followers believed they knew who he was. They had seen or heard stories of him healing people along the way, the blind men, Lazarus, who knows how many others. They listened to his teachings as he offered them a picture of what transformation can look like, what the Kingdom of Heaven looks like. And yet, it is interesting to note that when they were asked by the people in the city, “who is this?” they did not say he was the Messiah, they said he was the prophet from Nazareth. Even then, they were hedging their bets just a little.
But, “Save us, Son of David!” is what they yelled.
Jesus entered into Jerusalem as these words were being shouted, and he was carrying the weight of so many expectations with him. He was the one they’ve been waiting for, the one who would save them. Yet in a matter of days, one of his followers will betray him, many others will scatter, and some will even join the crowds yelling, “Crucify him!”
Their struggle seems to be in not just knowing who Jesus is, but in holding onto what they believe even when he isn’t meeting their expectations. It’s a familiar struggle.
Of all the things that happen during Holy Week, this struggle of faith might be the one that is the most relatable. Because we too must find an answer to the question of who Jesus is. And we too can struggle to hold onto who we believe him to be, when he does not meet our expectations. When no matter how much we pray, our loved one still dies. When no matter how many words we read about God’s love for justice, we continue to see oppression and injustice around us. When we call on the Prince of Peace, but our country still marches into another war.
Save us, Son of David!
We so often forget, like the people of the city of Jerusalem, that salvation never looks like what we expect. It doesn’t look like military might, it looks like humility. It doesn’t look like power, it looks like sacrifice. It looks like love. Like resurrection. It looks like so much more than we can ask or imagine. It defies our expectations in all of the best ways.
But we often forget something else. Something even more important. We forget that any answer to the question of who Jesus is, is incomplete without also considering who that makes us. Knowing who Jesus is should change us. As we enter into this Holy Week, remembering the people who thought they knew who Jesus was and then denied him, turned away from him, because he wasn’t who they expected him to be, let’s do better. Holding onto our faith in who Jesus is, let’s allow that to truly change us, and let’s be the people Jesus expects us to be. Amen.
About the cover image: On Palm Sunday a procession, led by the bishop, walked from the church of San Martín to the cathedral. A young man dressed as Jesus rode a mule assisted by 12 apostles. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/johndonaghy/3415402416/ (2009)