Christ began His final trek into Jerusalem from Bethany, two miles to the east of the city, just on the other side of the Mount of Olives. He had been staying out in the wilderness, but now the King makes His triumphant entry into His Holy City.
Why had Christ been staying east of town, in the wilderness? Because He had just performed His greatest miracle. He raised Lazarus, buried in a tomb for four days, from the dead. That happened in Bethany, and since it was so close to Jerusalem, word got out all over the city. The gospels tell us that many pilgrims, upon hearing of Lazarus’ raising wanted to see Jesus. And the Jewish leaders? They wanted to kill Jesus. They not only wanted to kill Jesus, they wanted to kill Lazarus too, in order to get rid of the evidence.
Isn’t it interesting how hatred and envy can blind people to the truth? The evidence kept mounting, showing that Christ was the long-awaited Messiah come to save the Jews: The blind were given sight; deaf ears were opened. But hearts remained closed.
Christ rode into the city through the Eastern Gate, where the prophet Ezekiel said the Messiah would enter. He rode in, meek and humble, on a little colt, just like the prophet Zechariah said He would. People lined the streets waving palm branches, which was a sign of joy and victory. They chanted, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” at the top of their lungs.
So, what did Christ do when He looked around at the crowd and the beautiful buildings and temple? He cried. The Son of Man broke down and cried. Why do you think He did that? What do you think was going through His mind? Were these tears of joy? No. He cried because He knew that He was bringing grace to a city that would reject it, a city that would remain obstinate in its sin.
Christ knew that God’s wrath would come down soon on the city. Its visitation was near. In 70 AD, blood would run through Jerusalem’s streets. Perhaps a million people would die of famine and the sword. The magnificent temple would be leveled to the ground, and the Jewish nation would come to an end.
What do you think goes through Jesus’ mind when we sin? Do you think the Son of Man breaks down and cries like He did on Palm Sunday? (He does not, for He is in heaven, and there are no tears there. However, His Body on earth, the Church, with Christ as its head, does break down and cry.) Do you think Christ, as head of the Church cries when one minute He sees us waving palm branches and shouting Hosanna, and then the next minute, remaining obstinate in our sin, He sees us rejecting His grace and nailing Him to a cross?
Think about why you are here on earth. What is your final end? Your end, your goal is to follow your King in a triumphant procession to the Heavenly Jerusalem. But you have to carry more than a palm to get in—you have to carry a cross. No one gets in the gate without one.
The time of your visitation is near. So, cry for the times you’ve offended your King who loves you unconditionally. Go to Confession, amend your life and use your freedom to glorify Him who gave it to you in the first place. Then your tears of sadness will be turned to joy.
Photo by Robert Bye on Unsplash