Palm Sunday: He resolutely took the road to Jerusalem

Today we have read St Luke’s account of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and then his account of the passion and death of the Lord.

If we go back a little earlier in his Gospel, in chapter 9, we read this: “Now as the time drew near for him to be taken up to heaven, he resolutely took the road to Jerusalem”. (Lk 9:51) Note the word, ‘resolutely’. In the first reading this morning we read of the suffering servant, “So, too I set my face like flint”. The Lord knew his fate and made the decision – he had to go to Jerusalem.

In chapter 13, St Luke records Jesus saying, “But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem”. (Lk 13:33) What must have been in Jesus’s mind as the crowds so enthusiastically welcomed him on Palm Sunday, while Jesus knew that in a few days they would be crying out, “crucify him, crucify him”?

Then in chapter 18 of the Gospel we read, “Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written in the prophets about the Son of Man is to come true”. (Lk 18:31) Jesus then says that he will be mocked, maltreated and spat upon. He will be scourged and put to death. Jesus knew in detail what awaited him. In the first reading we heard,

For my part I made no resistance, neither did I turn away. I offered my cheeks to those who tore at my beard. I did not cover my face against insult and spittle.

And yet he entered the holy city of Jerusalem knowing all this, as Isaiah said, like a lamb to the slaughter-house. 

His fate was predicted by the prophets. What he would endure was known by Jesus himself. In speaking of laying down his life, Jesus commented, “No one takes it from me; I lay it down of my own free will”. It was entirely his decision, his choice.

And he knew why he was doing it. In St John’s Gospel Jesus says simply: “A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends”. On the part of Jesus, this was to be his supreme act of love. It was a choice that he made inspired by a love of humanity beyond our comprehension. He knew that his decision and the pain and humiliation that he would endure was for a purpose – it would save humanity. He would sacrifice his life that humanity may be redeemed. It was for this reason that he resolutely took the road to Jerusalem.

This week is Holy Week. It is the holiest week of the Christian year. Let us be with Jesus throughout this week. Let us not be distracted by leisure or holidays or doing things for ourselves. Let us not give way to our self-indulgence. Let us not be uncaring, simply disinterested onlookers, in the face of the profound mystery that we as Christians commemorate in the coming days.

This week is Holy Week. It is the holiest week of the Christian year. Let us be with Jesus throughout this week, especially on Holy Thursday night at the Last Supper, then at the foot of the cross on Good Friday afternoon, and then let us rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ at the Easter Vigil or Easter Sunday morning.

Archbishop Julian Porteous

Sunday, 10 April 2022