e-vo for week of March 28

Dearest e-votees-

I was out of the office last week so this is getting posted a tad late--my apologies.

May your preparations for Holy Week be blessed.

Peace,
Karl

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12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!”

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written:

15 “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him.

John 12:12-16, NRSV

This appointed text for Palm Sunday has connections with the Old Testament. “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” can be found in Psalm 118:26a. Verse 15 is a reference to Zechariah 9:9.

Jesus is making entry into Jerusalem for what will be the final week of his earthly, pre-resurrection existence. He knows what is going on. His disciples didn’t understand these things at first. They thought, perhaps, that he would unseat the Roman occupying forces. He didn’t. They won. In the short-term at least.

Jesus is making an entry into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey. He knows what is going on. His disciples didn’t understand these things at first. They thought, perhaps, that he was making a grand entrance as a king. He may well have been making sport of the way that Roman victorious soldiers came back from victory on horseback. The story goes that as the Roman generals processed triumphantly there was a servant nearby who whispered “Momento mori!” (something like “remember your mortality”) Perhaps Jesus was hearing “Momento mori!” in his head mitigating the adoring crowds. Friday wasn’t so very far away. Jesus was headed towards defeat. The powers of this world were not. In the short-term at least.

Jesus is making a public entry into Jerusalem and the crowds are completely behind him—in the short-term at least. His disciples and the other followers didn’t understand these things at first. They thought, perhaps, they were picking a victorious king and all would be resolved in their favor soon. They were stirred up and ready to follow him anywhere. They didn’t understand where anywhere was leading at first. They were “all in” with Jesus, at least on Sunday, you see, they didn’t understand what “all in” was going to look like on Friday at first. On Friday, Jesus dies alone. They scattered. In the short-term at least.

Jesus transcends the short-term. He was glorified (in John-speak) on the cross. He was glorified with the empty tomb. He was glorified as he returned to God.

When the people saw Jesus’ glory they realized there was more than just the short-term. They then were able to understand what had been written of him and what had been done to him.

The week of the Passion wasn’t what the people wanted or expected. But it happened. At the end, Jesus was glorified and he said with finality “It is finished.”

Because of this week, we are not finished. There is hope that transcends the short-term. Hope that sees God’s plan and God’s action at work. Hope that is victorious even over the grave. Thanks be to God!!!


As we enter Holy Week, dear God, help us “Momento mori!” and remember the Last Supper and remember the footwashing and remember the command to love one another and remember the agony of the cross and remember the emptiness of the tomb. Draw us into your glory and help us remember what has been written and what has been done—all to the glory of God.