Not All Who Wander Are Lost (5) Songs of Loudest Praise

Palm Sunday

 John 12:12-16

When the crowd of people saw Jesus coming towards Jerusalem, the people were exuberant, cheering him on joyfully as he approached the city. Enthusiasm is a powerful force which ignites our spirits and infuses our actions. How is Jesus on the move among us? Could exuberance be a sign of his presence? 

To give yourself a glimpse of an exuberant crowd, watch this video of Jon Batiste while he was student at Juilliard. His band Stay Human had just finished a two-hour concert at Webster Hall. He and his band left the concert hall and took their music to the streets, walking through the city with people following and dancing and singing with them. Such exuberance! 

Jon Batiste’s choice wasn’t just playful, it was subversive. He was choosing to take his music out of the exclusive concert halls and into the streets, giving it away to all for free. 

When the crowd of people saw Jesus coming towards Jerusalem, they pulled palms off of trees to lay before him. It was also subversive. Palm fronds were a symbol of victory that people used to welcome a triumphant king as he entered a city after a successful battle. The enthusiasm and joy made the Pharisees and the Roman soldiers nervous. Jesus was on the move, and the crowds were welcoming him with exuberance. 

The crowds were in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. On Thursday, Jesus would have his last Supper, a Passover Feast, with his Disciples, and there, he would give them the ritual we have come to know as communion.

On Sunday, we exuberantly welcomed Jesus into the sanctuary, and then we worked together to prepare ourselves for communion. Wendy, a guest potter came and taught us how to make pinch pot “chalices”. After she fires and glazes them, they will replace our paper communion cups. We also experimented with making homemade gluten-free communion wafers. And, we made more children’s activity bags, complete with palm prints of our littlest ones. Jesus is on the move in our little church, too. I sense his creativity, generosity, abundance, and our response of exuberance!

Amidst the jubilation of Palm Sunday lies the shadow of the cross. Jesus knew what awaited Him in Jerusalem — the suffering, the betrayal, and the ultimate sacrifice. He entered anyway, knowing that the path to resurrection for him led through his death. While Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is a foreshadowing of his death, it is also a foreshadowing of the exuberance of resurrection.

Deep peace and blessing,
Anne

Rev. Anne Baxter Smith
Pastor, Church at Southpoint

Lenten Sermon Series

Not All Who Wander Are Lost
(1) Jesus Sought Me link
(2) Praise the Mount link
(3) I’m Fixed Upon It link 
(4) Teach Me link 
(5) Songs of Loudest Praise link (Palm Sunday) link