Theological Journal - Toward the 8th Day: A Journey through Holy Week
Palm/Passion Sunday -It is Palm Sunday because it is a festival procession of a Messianic claimant to the Holy City at Passover (the great festival of Jewish liberation contests. from Egyptian tyranny). Thus the songs, the palm branches and spread cloaks, and acclamations. -It is passion Sunday because this was not the only royal procession entering Jerusalem that day. Romme was coming too! A power struggle is in the offing. And Rome (the Egypt of that day) seldom lost such contests. The Messianic Procession (Mark 11) -came in from east of the city, its leader’s “war horse” a borrowed colt! His attendants – mostly peasant riff-raff and ne’er-do-wells, no accounts. -the leader’s platform is his claim to be bringing in the kingdom of God (Mark 1:15). Every Jew’s fondest hope! But this kingdom does not fight, bite, scratch and claw, back-stab, or shock-and-awe its way to power (against most Jewish expectation). Take a few minutes and read about the way of life of this...