“And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken and asked, “Who is this?”
And the crowds replied, “This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Matthew 21:10-11 (NAB)
It is said that only Matthew’s gospel uses the word “shaken,” to describe Jerusalem on that day. Matthew used that same word to describe the earthquake at the moment Jesus died. If the level of hope and praise could move the magnitude on the Richter scale, Jesus would have caused an earthquake in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
There was so much excitement when He entered the city that crowds of people took off their cloaks and laid them on the ground, while waving palm branches in the air. Children were singing praises of Hosanna to Him, which made the chief priests even more indignant, but Jesus responded to them by quoting the Psalmist, “Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies.”
(Matthew 21:16, Psalm 8:2)
The city of Jerusalem shook like an earthquake that day. It shook from the magnitude of hope in who Jesus was, and it also shook from the outrage of those who disbelieved. The entire city was talking about one man, Jesus. Some came to proclaim Him king and others came to learn more about Him. Some learned about Him, but never transferred that knowledge from their head to their heart. He warned about the seeds of faith, that fall on the hard, rocky ground which never grow into a lasting faith.
His entry into Jerusalem was a landmark day in history, because it marked a clear split between those who were with Him and those who were against Him. It revealed what type of soil was within human hearts that day. Before His arrest, He made it clear, saying,
“No one takes My life from me, but I lay it down on my own.” (John 10:18)
He knew He would lay His life down, but He couldn’t have known the magnitude of suffering that He would actually endure in those days.
Scripture says that “for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, while scorning its shame.”
(Hebrews 12:2)
He had some divine foresight, knowing that lives would one day be shook up and changed for the good, through faith in Him. He probably envisioned the tears of repentance of each person who would ever kneel before Him and confess Him as Lord. In hope, He imagined the multitude of ransomed souls who would meet Him in heaven on the last and final day of the Lord.
The Iraqi Christians, who have suffered unimaginably for their faith, have a saying: “Hope is a plant that grows even on tombstones.” It was this kind of hope that helped Jesus endure the beatings, mockery, scourging, and crucifixion of Holy Week in Jerusalem.
As we enter Jerusalem with Jesus next week, we follow His footsteps and envision ourselves walking beside Him, from the loud Hosannas to the lonely darkness of the garden, to the painful silence leading up to the cross. We reminisce, step by step, how He laid Himself down for us. It’s the magnitude of God’s love and kindness which once shook the earth and still leads people to repentance. In gratitude and praise, we will celebrate His death and resurrection, which brought us the gift of eternal life.
Lord, take us with you on a journey inside Jerusalem next week, and help us to have greater appreciation for how you did it all in hope and love for each of our souls. Amen
