John 12:12-16
Today’s passage tells the story of Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week. All four Gospels begin with what they call “The Triumphal Entry.” As a child I can recall being given a Sunday school leaflet on that day showing Jesus riding on a donkey while the crowds of adults and children waved palm branches and threw cloaks in front of him. It was a real parade. At Hope Church on Palm Sunday, we give our children palm fronds and lead them around the sanctuary calling out “Hosanna!” We sing the hymn, “Hosanna, loud Hosannas, the little children sang.” Children are very much a part of our Palm Sunday observance. We might ask why.
Two thousand years ago Jesus arrived in Jerusalem amid talk of a coming King, the Messiah. Everyone wondered if this could be the man. Instead of a king in royal robes mounted on a stately horse, they see a humble man in a drab homespun robe seated on a donkey. Nevertheless, caught up in the fervor of the moment, they call out, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!” The children run alongside of him, cheering him and waving their palm fronds. They see in him something that older eyes do not, and so they cry out their praise, and Jesus recalls the ancient prophecy:
Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies
you have prepared praise for yourself. (Psalm 8:2)
We can learn from this child-like faith. We don’t need the trappings of a conqueror to know a true king. Jesus made a triumphal entry, but the accolades didn’t last. Five days later the same crowd would shout for his crucifixion. Instead, like the children, we can believe in him, we can trust him, and no matter what comes next, He is our Savior. Praise be to God!
Prayer: Gracious God, like the children, we would praise you with all our hearts. We pray that our faith will be strong and unshakeable through whatever lies ahead for us. May your love shine in us and in all we do. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
—Ruth Donaldson
Meditations for People of Hope 