These two days yesterday, the Saturday of Lazarus, and today, Palm Sunday, mark the transition from Great Lent to Holy Week. They are days of celebration, prefiguring the resurrection of Christ himself and the coming of His kingdom. However they also look forward to the events of the passion which we commemorate in Holy Week. I would like to consider some aspects of the Saturday of Lazarus and Palm Sunday in some detail.

In one respect the raising of Lazarus marks the culmination of the healing miracles of Christ, following on from the raising of the son of the widow of Nain and of the daughter of Jairus. However Lazarus has already lain in the tomb four days. According to Jewish belief, after three days the soul of the person departed and went to Sheol or Hades. Thus, by deliberately waiting four days, Jesus showed that He had power over death.

Among the witnesses there were two starkly contrasted reactions. On the one hand there were those among the Jews who believed in Him and rejoiced. On the other hand there were those who were outraged and reported what had happened to the chief priests and pharisees. The latter set in train the process which would lead to the passion and crucifixion.

The raising of Lazarus is prophetic in prefiguring the resurrection of Christ himself, and the general resurrection of all the dead in due time.
Turning to the Gospel set for today, Christ is again in Bethany with Lazarus, Mary and Martha, preparing to enter Jerusalem in the days before Passover. The time for miracles is past. Now is the time for the Son of Man to be glorified through the completion of His mission.
“The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!””

The branches of the palm trees are not only an expression of celebration but also echo the feast of tabernacles, during which the Jews commemorated the exodus from Egypt and the dependence of the Israelites on the will of God. The entry into Jerusalem is that of a King, with some throwing their outer garments before him in homage.

Now the manner of the entry into Jerusalem has significance in the choice of a young donkey, which I shall come to in a moment.
But first, indirectly, mention of the donkey may prompt recall of the narrative in Genesis of God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. When Abraham took Isaac and the materials for the sacrifice, a donkey carried the bundle of sticks for the fire, but for the ascent to the place of sacrifice, Isaac took the burden on his own back, as Jesus did the cross. When Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, an angel stayed his hand and a ram was substituted. Here we see a prefiguring of the sacrifice of the Son of God himself, as the sheep of sacrifice for our salvation. Also Abraham received his son back as though from the dead, which can be seen as a metaphor for the resurrection.
Returning to today’s gospel reading: “And Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it; as is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

This is a paraphrase of the words of the prophet Zechariah: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Proclaim it aloud, O daughter of Zion, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you; He is righteous and saving; He is gentle and mounted upon a donkey, even a young foal.”

Rather than riding on a horse, or in a chariot, as a proud king, the Messiah king rides humbly on a donkey. Christ comes as Messiah, not as one to overthrow the Romans and restore the earthly kingdom of David, for which many Jews were hoping, but as King of Glory to reveal the Kingdom of God. In this he is entering not only the earthly Jerusalem, but rather the celestial Jerusalem.

Palm Sunday calls us to see our King, Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh. We are called not merely to acknowledge Him and worship Him, but most importantly to welcome Him into our hearts and lives, in every prayer and every sacrament, and be transformed in our whole being. We must wholeheartedly accept the rule of the Kingdom of God, living as far as we are able in the world but not of the world, as we continue in our efforts to follow our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Finally let us rejoice as we welcome the King of all, and prepare to walk with Him through the coming days leading through the saving Passion and to the most glorious Resurrection.

Father Gerald Theodore