Jesus was put to death because he claimed to be the son of God, and he is, this is Christ’s divinity. However, who could read the scriptures today and not feel Christ’s humanity? Jesus is the savior of the world, but he is also our friend. Jesus told us in another gospel that we were no longer slaves, but friends. However, in today’s gospel, Jesus seems to have a lot of “fair weather friends”. Everyone wanted to join in the party to celebrate Christ’s arrival into Jerusalem, and who could blame them? What a joyous occasion it was! Can you imagine the sheer joy of the crowd, singing and shouting, and waving their palm branches? Maybe some of the fathers put their children on their shoulders in the crowd so they could get a better look at Jesus. His arrival in Jerusalem was a big deal.
The people in the crowd who threw their cloaks on the road were most certainly smiling, and laughing, and excitedly waiting for Jesus to pass them by. Jesus was a very famous person, kind of like Pope Francis is to all of us right now. Remember when Pope Francis was first elected? The expectant crowd in Saint Peter’s Square also waited to hear the news of our new pope and the whole crowd burst into shouts of joy when he stepped out into their presence for the first time.
Did you ever wonder what was going through Pope Francis’ mind during the first few moments before he greeted the crowd in Saint Peter’s Square for the first time? Well, you don’t have to guess what Jesus was thinking or feeling in today’s gospel. If you can’t picture him laughing and smiling and waving, and feel the deep down joy and love for his people that he must have felt, then you should try a little harder! Ah, the entire city celebrated his arrival. Jesus surely must have felt their love wash over him, and lift him up in their hearts as he passed them by. The human side of Jesus surely must have felt how good it was to be loved by his people. You can’t help but wonder if he remembered their outburst of love for him, later on when he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. The decision that Christ agonized over in the garden was surely influenced by the love he had for these people, for his disciples, and for his Father, not to mention for all of us as well. The love that won the battle in his heart forever changed the world though.
Jesus spent his last evening on earth in the warm cocoon of friendship with the people he loved the most in his life. How could he look upon them without wanting to care for them and to care for all of us his people, in a tangible way after he was gone? He gave himself to them and to us as well in that moment. “This is my body, which will be given for you, do this in memory of me.” And, “this is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.” This new covenant of love, formed through Christ’s own blood just doesn’t get any more personal than this, for all of us. Jesus has loved us through all the generations and indeed will continue to do so until the end of time.
No one really knew what lay ahead, but Jesus did. We should make note of his conversation with Simon Peter though, when Jesus told him that Satan demanded to sift them like wheat. He prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail, and for him to turn back and strengthen his brothers. Satan planned to attack Christ’s holy church right from the beginning. Jesus founded his church on the man who loved him the most, and he knew that Satan planned to sorely test that bond of love.
Jesus kept asking his disciples to pray that they might not undergo the test. He told them this twice but they appeared not to be listening. They must have cried about his impending death because the scriptures say that Jesus found them sleeping from grief. He tried to rouse them to pray, because they would need God’s grace to protect them from Satan’s power in the hours ahead. Jesus himself was visited by an angel while he prayed, because God wanted to strengthen His son for what lay ahead as well.
The rest of the story of Christ’s passion we know almost from heart. Jesus was arrested and Peter denied him three times. One look from Jesus tore his heart so badly he ran off and wept bitterly. Jesus was accused before the chief priests and scribes but he never said the words that he was the Son of God, only that they themselves said that he was. Pilate asked him if he was the king of the Jews and again, Jesus did not state that he was. He just replied “You say so.”
There was something about Pilate’s wife’s words, that convinced him that Jesus was not guilty of a capital offense. He sent Jesus to Herod who also found him not guilty. When Jesus returned to Pilate, he again said that he did not find him not guilty of a capital offense, but the crowd would not listen. Pilate did what they asked and granted their demand, but he washed his hands as an outward sign that he was innocent of Christ’s death. He wanted nothing to do with it and was not guilty of convicting this man. Pilate also later released Jesus’ body to Joseph of Arimathea after his crucifixion. Pilate condemned Jesus but only God can judge the extent of his guilt. In John 19:11, Jesus told Pilate that “the one who turned me over to you has the greater sin.” Christ even had compassion for the man who ordered his execution.
As Jesus was being led to his death he told the women of Jerusalem not to cry for him, Veronica wiped his face, and his mother Mary stood at the foot of the cross with Mary Magdalen. Ladies in modern times should take note of this, the strength of these women who fearlessly accompanied Jesus to his death. They are a role model for modern women who must face heart wrenching trials in their own lives as well.
Evil reached its peak that day when the soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross. In the face of an absolute assault of evil, Jesus still chose to love, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” His love for his executioners deeply contradicted the abuse toward him from one of the revolutionaries on the cross. The other revolutionary’s heart finally cracked at the sound of the abuse that was being directed toward Jesus, that he didn’t deserve. He recognized the goodness, the love, and the innocence of this man beside him, who many people claimed was a king. He told him, “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus must have looked at him with recognition of this man’s conversion and loved him because of it, because he said “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” We too, should never doubt that someone we love who did not openly acknowledge Christ in life, may do so just moments before their death. Salvation is possible to the last moment of life.
Jesus commanded the seas, the wind, the evil spirits, the human body and the elements of the earth during his life. When he died, the entire universe acknowledged him as the son of God, with an eclipse of the sun, an earthquake, and the veil in the temple was torn in two.
Jesus, the son of God, simply placed his spirit into His Father’s hands, and he died.
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Those who witnessed the death of Jesus Christ probably could do nothing but look upon him in silence as the truth sunk in of his innocence. They killed an innocent man, who truly was the son of God. Darkness must have enveloped the entire city that day. Can you picture that dark and terrible day?
It was fitting though, that someone not intimately affected by the whole experience, knew the right thing to do. Joseph of Arimathea stepped up and did the right thing, by asking Pilate for Jesus’ body. He glorified the Lord Jesus Christ in death with this solitary act of love. There are few words that are recorded about this great act of love though. The scriptures just said that Joseph wrapped Jesus in clean linen and placed him in his own, brand new tomb.
In their grief, and with the Lord newly passed, the women from Galilee obeyed God’s commandment though. Instead of preparing the Lord’s body, they rested on the sabbath. The entire city surely lay in stillness and quiet, perhaps in gloom, because the light had gone out of the world, and was no more.
Palm Sunday Mass Readings:
Luke 19:28-40 / Isaiah 50:4-7 / Psalm 22:8-9,17-20,23-24 / Philippians 2:6-11 / Luke 22:14–23:56
