From Hosanna to the Cross

From shouts of “Hosanna” to cries of “Crucify Him,” Palm Sunday reveals how Christ’s suffering fulfilled God’s plan, exposed our sin, and secured our salvation, calling us to stand firm in faith without fear or turning back.

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Good Morning. When Jesus entered the city, We heard the cry Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Our King had arrived. There was excitement, hope, expectation. By Friday, many of those same voices were crying out, “Crucify Him.” The King they welcomed… became the one they rejected.

And that is how quickly the human heart can turn.

As we just walked through the crucifixion account, we were brought face to face with something that is, at the very same time, the greatest act ever done, and the most horrific crime ever committed. Obviously the greatest, because of what Christ willingly did for us. The most horrific, because of what our sin did to Him.

This is the story of the only truly righteous man being falsely accused. The long-awaited Messiah rejected by the very people He came to save. The most innocent, loving, most worthy person who has ever lived being put to death after an unjust trial. This was humanity’s darkest hour, and yet it was also the very means of our salvation.

There is a reason the Gospel writers spent so much time on these 24 hours - to encourage real people under real pressures. People under pressure to deny Christ from the Roman Empire, from Nero, who hated and persecuted Christians. Pressure from family and society to give up on this poor people’s religion.

And into that pressure, the gospels send a clear message, DONT fear, and DONT look back. There is nothing to return to from the religious leaders who rejected Jesus, their messiah came and they missed Him. The Roman Empire only has the authority God allows, so there is no reason to fear them.

Jesus has proven who He is, and He died for you. And just like Jesus, even the persecutions and hardships they were in weren’t accidental. It was all within the plan and care of God.

That same pressure still exists today, just in different forms. It’s not the Roman Empire, but it can be the pressure of a workplace, the tension in a family, the sense that following Jesus too closely will cost you something. The pull is always there to soften your faith, to keep it private, or to listen to the voices in the crowd. And into that, this same message speaks, don’t fear, and don’t look back.

One of the ways it’s made clear is by showing how these events happened to fulfill Scripture. That matters, because it shows us three very important things this morning. It shows us that God is in complete control, that Jesus is perfectly obedient, and that Jesus is the perfect and worthy sacrifice for us.

First, God is in complete control. Even in what looks like chaos, nothing is random. The soldiers divided His garments, just as David foretold 1000 years prior in Psalm 22. They acted freely, but it happened exactly the way God said would happen. Not a single bone of His body was broken, just as Moses said the Passover lamb was to remain whole. Even the piercing of His side was spoken about in Isaiah 53, some 6/7 hundred years earlier. In fact, it’s amazing how many pictures in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 paint what would happen during the crucifixion, so we could know that everything unfolded according to plan.

Second, we see Jesus’ willing obedience. No one forced Him to take the cross. He carried it until his body physically couldn’t anymore. No one took His life from Him. He gave up His spirit.

And when He says, “It is finished,” in John’s Gospel, He is not giving up, He is declaring that every single thing the Father sent Him to do has been completed. He is in control the entire time, even in His suffering.

Third, we see His worthiness as the sacrifice. As Isaiah said, He is counted among sinners, killed between two thieves, even  though He has no sin. He is the true Passover Lamb, without blemish. He carries the wood of His own sacrifice, just as Isaac did in Genesis 22. Every detail points to the same truth, this is the One. This is the sacrifice that takes away sin.

So what does that mean for us?

We should be humble as we reflect on this story, because, in truth, it is easy to find ourselves in it. That’s why we read it through, and include ourselves in the story. In our refusal to fully acknowledge Jesus as Lord, we are the crowd. “Let Him Be Crucified!” In our fear and silence, we are Peter denying Him. “I do not know the man”

In our tendency to stay hidden, we are like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus those who followed at a distance. We have followed the ways of this world instead of our true King. We deserve the judgment He received, and yet He bore it willingly for us.

And for those who turn to Him in faith, He does exactly what He did for the thief on the cross. He welcomes, He forgives, He saves. Our debt is cleared.

We see ourselves also when we bear the cross ourselves, like Simon of Cyrene. Jesus took up His cross, and He told His followers to do the same.

For some, that means rejection or ridicule. For others, it means real danger. But this is the path Jesus walked before us, blameless and taking our blame.

And yet we do not fear, because the cross is not the end of the story.

The resurrection is coming………….

He died so that we might die to sin, and He was raised so that we might be raised to new life. That means even when following Him feels costly, even when it feels like loss, it is actually the path to true and lasting life.

Finally, because of the cross, we take joy in our salvation. This is not a tragic story, it is the fulfillment of God’s promises. Your debt is paid. The way back to God is open. Sin is not the final word over you.

 So rejoice, even in the struggle, even when faith feels hard, because God has done exactly what He promised.