Last Sunday was Palm Sunday.
Part of the Passover tradition we find in Exodus 12, was that on the 10th day of the month each family picks a lamb. And on the 14th day it is sacrificed and eaten. This means that Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem a day or two before all Israel was picking their Passover Lamb. John the Baptist had called Jesus the Lamb of God, and now it was time to choose Him. The crowd, at least some of them, got it, because they shout “Hosanna,” which means in Hebrew not general praise, but "save us," to the son of David. So they are looking to the Passover Lamb as the way they believe God will save them.
Now, it is true, the palm branch was like the national flag. We have Israeli coins of the day and they have palm branches on them. And under Roman rule at the time, many of the Jews wanted the Messiah to make them a strong, independent nation again. So there’s a bit of confusion among church-goers that they are seeking a sacrifice that will save them from God’s wrath for their sin, and at the same time, most of them want a strong ruler who will make Israel great again. I hope that sounds familiar.
Who are you crying Hosanna to, right now? What Passover lamb are you choosing? "If only I do this, that’ll fix it." "If only society does this, that’ll fix it." And what are the core problems that need fixing, anyway? These aren’t either/or questions. We face many problems.
But I do know that we need to take refuge in the blood of the Lamb over our door, to protect us from the angel of death stalking outside. Our virus problem is wide spread and lethal, but our deeper problem is our guilt before a holy God. We need to trust God and the Lamb, more than we should fear a virus, or trust to personal hygiene or the CDC to save us.
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