In these passages, Jesus comes into Jerusalem for, and later celebrates, the Passover. We’ll hear both of these readings on Palm Sunday, the first being about the “palms” in the day’s name. This reading is one of joyful expectation, but the second ends ominously with the threat of Judas’ impending betrayal, preparing us for the rest of Holy Week. 

Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus’ triumphant, yet quirky, entrance into Jerusalem. The people of Israel, harshly oppressed with taxation and forced labor by the Romans, are hoping for a Messiah who will come and violently throw out these occupiers. They hope that Jesus might be this Messiah and so, they call out to him as a “Son of David” in this reading because David was a military king of conquest. Jesus subverts their expectations, however, by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, an animal of peace, just like David’s son, Solomon, did before him. Jesus likes to show himself more like Solomon than like Daivid because Solomon was a king of peace and wisdom, and Jesus is both wise and non-violent. 

I don’t know if the people realize that Jesus is defying their expectations yet. They cheer for him now, but later they turn on him, perhaps because they have had time to realize that Jesus is not the kind of Messiah that they are looking for. The crowd’s fickle nature isn’t something unique to them. We too, can turn on those for whom we cheer. Indeed, this whole story is an indictment of human nature: our desire for violence and vengeance, our capriciousness, and willingness to scapegoat others for our problems even if we have to subvert justice to do it. We are a part of that fickle crowd.

Judas, too, is ready to turn on Jesus. In our second reading, he goes to the religious leaders to betray Jesus. It isn’t entirely clear why he does this, but it’s not hard to speculate. Judas might be much like the crowd: he wants a violent and military Messiah, and he realizes Jesus isn’t going to be that. Some have even speculated that Judas hoped to force Jesus to “show his hand” and use his power to fight off the Romans who would come to arrest him. But of course, we know that Jesus isn’t going to do that. Jesus is fully aware of what Judas is going to do, but he does not stop him. Everything is going according to God’s plan as it will unfold during Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. 

Taken together, these readings show us how God knows our hearts and desires, including the worst of them, and loves us anyway. Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem 2,000 years ago wasn’t just political theater. Jesus really is triumphant. He is triumphant over sin and death, and Holy Week, with all its drama and emotion, will help us to appreciate that all the more.