March 28th at 10:45 AM

Join us for our virtual worship service. Contact us at staff@gbcbb.org for more info.

Scripture: Mark 10:32-11:11

Fellow pilgrims on this journey,

Over the past couple of months, we have journeyed together through the Gospel of Mark.  We are nearing the end of our journey.  This Sunday is Palm Sunday, the day we celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.  You can read this story in Mark 11:1-11.  Some Bibles will title this passage as “Jesus’ triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.”  If we were worshiping in person, we would receive palm branches.  Palm branches symbolized victory and triumph.  But in Mark’s Gospel there is no mention of palm trees at all, just branches. Further, in Mark’s telling of this story the procession comes to an unsatisfying end.  Jesus enters the temple, looks around and leaves.  (V.11).  Another odd characteristic of Mark’s telling is the amount of space he devotes (seven verses) to the story of borrowing an animal.  The celebratory nature of the day is understated in Mark’s Gospel.  However at the same time, when the colt is brought back to Jesus it sets off something in the crowd.  It sets off a surge of messianic excitement.  The people shout, “Hosanna!  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD!  Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (V.9-10).  Mark’s account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is filled with tension.  In his commentary Ronald Kernaghan explains the source of that tension.  He writes, “The root of the tension in this passage is the difference between the Savior the crowd wanted and the Savior who came.”

Once again, we see the theme of misunderstanding in Mark’s Gospel.  Here it is not the disciples but the crowds who misunderstand Jesus.  The crowd’s had certain expectations for their Messiah.  They expected him to walk a certain way, a certain path.  But Jesus invited the crowds, his disciples and us to walk a different way, a different path.  This Sunday we will explore the path Jesus invited us to walk.

See you on Zoom,

Pastor David