From Hosanna to Crucify Him!

Isaiah 50:4-7

The Lord God has given me his words of wisdom so that I may know what I should say to all these weary ones. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. 5 The Lord God has spoken to me, and I have listened; I do not rebel nor turn away. 6 I give my back to the whip, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard. I do not hide from shame—they spit in my face. 7 Because the Lord God helps me, I will not be dismayed; therefore, I have set my face like flint to do his will, and I know that I will triumph.

Food for thought on Palm Sunday

The Holy Week begins on a triumphant note and suddenly descends into suffering.  The gospel reading just before the Procession begins, says: "The crowds who had come up for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took branches of palm and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessings on the King of Israel, who comes in the name of the Lord.’"

And the gospel reading after the procession end by saying: "The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus on which they might pass the death sentence. But they could not find any. Several, indeed, brought false evidence against him, but their evidence was conflicting. Some stood up and submitted this false evidence against him, ‘We heard him say, “I am going to destroy this Temple made by human hands, and in three days build another, not made by human hands.”’ But even on this point their evidence was conflicting." [...] "The chief priests, however, had incited the crowd to demand that he should release Barabbas for them instead. Then Pilate spoke again. ‘But in that case,’ he said to them ‘what am I to do with the man you call king of the Jews?’ They shouted back, ‘Crucify him!’ ‘Why?’ Pilate asked them ‘What harm has he done?’ But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’ So Pilate, anxious to placate the crowd, released Barabbas for them and, having ordered Jesus to be scourged, handed him over to be crucified."

One of the most frightening things about life is how quickly it can change, in an instant, in a moment. Our life can change from peaceful to problematic in just a few minutes. It can be by a phone call in the middle of the night; a police officer at your front door; a special news bulletin interrupting your TV comedy; a visit to your doctor; a call from your employer that you have been fired; an SMS from your lover that s/he has sued for a divorce. One moment Joseph was the favored son of Jacob, a teenager with great dreams and ambitions, dressed in a multicolored coat of honor, stationed in the pastures of Canaan, watching his flock and planning his future. The next moment, he was torn from his family, ripped from his father’s love, stripped of his ambitious dreams, robbed of his future, and led away in shackles, wearing the loincloth of a slave.

In the case of Jesus, life changed abruptly from ‘Hosanna! Blessings on the King of Israel, who comes in the name of the Lord’ to ‘Crucify him!’ Does this sound familiar to you? Have you ever fallen from grace to disgrace in a matter of days, hours or moments?  If so, you're not alone. You're with Jesus and Jesus is with you. People may be shouting "crucify him" to you right now. They may be wanting to harm and hurt you.  But remember Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28.

When we take our situations, whatever they are, and place them under the redemptive blood of Christ, the sovereign workings of God’s providence are activated so as to work all things together for good, conforming them to the purposes of His will. Your enemy means it for evil, but God intends it for good. Those high priests who incited the crowds to hurt Jesus intended evil, but God redeemed the evil and made our salvation out of it.

Remember the story of Joseph in the Old Testament.  Remember Joseph's words to his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20). Lord gave us Joseph in order to prepare us for Holy Week. The story of Joseph is an early case study of the overruling power of Divine Providence for those who love God and who are called according to His purpose.

Genesis 50:20 shows us that God can use an unfortunate series of life-crushing blows to bring about history-changing benefits. Though Joseph’s brothers meant it for evil, God intended it for good. The Lord wasn’t surprised by the turn of events, and He was determined to work all things together for good in Joseph’s life for the benefit of others. In fact, these events that seemed to devastate were actually the tools God would use to protect Joseph’s family, preserve the Jewish people, and safeguard the messianic line.

Don't forget the story of Joseph as you follow both your own story and the story of Jesus's Passion, Death and Resurrection. Remember that even the smallest details of our lives—the inconveniences, the trials and tribulations, the suffering, and struggles—become nothing more nor less than ingredients in the cake of God’s providence.

The world and the Devil may spoil our comforts, our dreams, our wherewithal, and our apparent well-being. But they can’t pry us from the invisible hand of God’s constant care. Now, what are your problems today? What are you going through? Who’s in your way? What failures are dogging your step? The people may mean it for evil, and the Devil may want to harm you, but God intends to use it for good.