The Praise Parade

One week before Jesus rose, He rode—into town on a donkey. The trip may have been short in miles, but it was long in meaning because the parade was staged on purpose for a purpose. 

About five hundred years before, Zechariah had encouraged the worried hearts and weary hands of Jews struggling to rebuild a demolished temple and devastated homeland on their return from Babylonian exile.  “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!  Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!  See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of donkey”(Zech 9:9). Zechariah promised that a king would come, not to oppress but to rescue, and Jesus, knowing every jot and tiddle of His Word, made sure every detail of the prophesy was fulfilled—even the foal of the donkey.

On that special Sunday in the spring, He sent two guys into the village of Bethpage on an acquisition mission, and when they returned with the beast, the best came out in the disciples. No ornamented saddle fit for royalty was lying around, but they didn’t want their King riding bareback, so they laid their cloaks down the donkey’s spine.  A cloak was an important possession in their culture, used as an outer layer of clothing, as collateral for loans, and as covering for the chill of night, but the disciples eagerly and willingly surrendered their comfort and security to the One who was worthy.

So did the crowds that gathered quickly and lined the way.  Not wanting the donkey’s hooves to even touch the dirt, they laid their cloaks as a covering for the ground and made a regal carpet on which Jesus could ride.  They waved palm branches in praise, and they shouted for joy.  Most had seen His miracles.  Many had only heard of His wonders, but they all came to worship.  Yes, some of Sunday’s admiring crowd would become part of Friday’s accusing mob, but for those brief moments, heaven’s Finest was applauded as was fitting. The donkey’s clop was drowned by the crowd’s revering cries.  “Hosanna to the Son of David!  Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

The accolades were more than the Pharisees could stand.  Afraid that Jesus’ fan club would have more members than their own, they demanded He silence the celebration.  Many times in His ministry, Jesus had commanded those He healed to hush, but not from now on.  “No way,” Jesus responded. “Even if they stopped praising, the rocks would start singing!”

We’re standing where those worshipers were.  No, we can’t spread our cloaks on His colt, but we can hand over what we hold onto for security and comfort.  No, we can’t wave a palm frond along His path, but we can lift our arms and hands to do His work for His glory.  And, no, our cries of praise won’t be during His parade, but every word we speak within and without the walls of the church can declare His majesty and grace—for He alone is worthy.

Blessed is He who came in the name of the Lord.

And blessed is He who will come again.

Hosanna!