From Cheers to Jeers
Rev. Edwin Morrow
03/24/24

A story is told about a famous preacher long ago who pastored a church that was filled every Sunday. People traveled miles on foot just to hear his messages. One day, as the church was emptying, a passerby asked one of the people in the church why this preacher’s messages were so compelling. The person responded without hesitation, “This preacher will take you up to the mountain and down to the valley. He will bring you to laughter and to tears. He will have you jumping with joy and then falling to your knees. By the time he is finished, he will always have you at the foot of the cross.”

That is where we are headed – to the foot of the cross and the tomb. Holy Week takes us on a roller coaster of emotional ups and downs. We move from the cheers of Palm Sunday to the jeers of Good Friday. So here we go, beginning with Luke’s version of Palm Sunday. We specifically focus on verses 37-42 to begin with and then return to verse 31 to conclude with the words, “The Lord needs it.” As we do so the words king and peace and wept will capture us. 37 “As Jesus was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen.”

Jesus had been drawing huge crowds for three years. The news about Him had spread like wildfire everywhere. The crowds heard him gladly. He taught with divine power and authority. His words spoke to the heart of the people as they do to this day. His miracles were electrifying. The blind could see again. The deaf could hear again. The mute could speak again. The lame could walk again. The demon possessed were set free. Parents brought their children for Him to bless. Depressed spirits were lifted and made whole. Hopeless hearts dared to hope again. 

No wonder the people were cheering with joy and  saying, 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” We know now what the cheering people did not know as Jesus rode among them. Jesus Himself says it was hidden from them. What was hidden? Contrary to the hopes and desires of the people, Jesus did not come to be an earthly king. He would later say my kingdom is not of this world. As the crowds began to realize this, they began to jeer Him all the way to the cross. They were even offered the choice of whether to free a criminal named Barabbas or to free Jesus. They chose to free Barabbas and crucify Jesus. Many of His once-faithful followers had forsaken him. He was no longer their king. This side of the first Holy Week and the resurrection we know who Jesus truly is and what He has done for us.

Revelation 17:14 speaks of our relationship with the king of creation. “They (meaning our spiritual enemies) will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” 

Jesus has overcome Satan, sin, death, and the grave. As in days gone by, some reject Him. Some follow Him enthusiastically. Spending eternity in hell or heaven hangs in the balance. May we remain ever faithful to Jesus as the King and Lord of our life. For only He can bring true everlasting, heavenly peace!

Jesus entered Jerusalem in a way that declared He came in peace to bring peace. Generals and kings rode a horse when they went to war. When they came in peace, they rode a donkey. The first thing Jesus said to His disciples after rising from the dead was, “Peace be with you.” Paul says in Romans 5, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Knowing that to be true should make us weep with joy. 41 “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!’” This is only one of two instances of Jesus weeping in all of Scripture. The first was when he wept over the death of His friend Lazarus just before he raised Lazarus from the dead. This miracle happened just before Palm Sunday. 18 “The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.”

Then Jesus weeps when He sees Jerusalem. The people in the city didn’t get it. Even his close circle of followers, his disciples, were a hopeless mess. Each with his own agenda, his own ambitions, jockeying for power. One would deny him, another would betray him, and all would flee the city when the chips were down. It was enough to make anybody weep! He wept because he knew they would reject Him. They would not respond to His gospel message. Luke says of the donkeys “The Lord has need of them!” 

Palm Sunday reminds us that the Lord has need of you and me. There are people all around us both within and outside of our church who have needs. They need our love and help. The question that challenges us as this holiest of all weeks begins is this: Are we willing to love and help them in the name of Jesus who humbled Himself and became obedient even unto death on the cross? What can we give to others in the name of the One who has given us everything, including eternal life? “Does Jesus have need of our gifts?” Yes. It brings pleasure to the heart of Jesus when we give to Him by giving to others. 

I've always loved the story of Eric Liddell. His life was immortalized for many who had never heard his story in the movie Chariots of Fire. He had felt the call of God to go to China as a missionary with his sister. The most gripping scene in the movie, to me, was when he told his sister that he was going to delay going to the mission field so that he could continue training for the Olympics. She was crestfallen. He sought to help her to understand by saying, “Jenny, Jenny. I know God created me for his service, but he also made me fast! When I run, I feel God’s pleasure!” When we give to Jesus the gifts of heart and hand, God feels pleasure, and so do we. We know the rest of Eric Liddell’s story. He participated in the Olympics, he refused to run on a Sunday, and his subsequent winning of a gold medal turned out to be a witness for Christ to the whole world.

As Jesus rides into Jerusalem, He is indeed King of kings. He brings us peace with God the Father almighty. He weeps for lost and needy souls. He has need of our hearts and hands and voices to touch those souls with His gospel of salvation, kindness, and care.