Big Events the last couple of weeks for the shrinking-minority of Americans who self-identify as “followers of Jesus” (we used to use the term “Christian,” but we haven’t done a very good job of protecting that brand of late). The annual revisitations of Palm Sunday and Easter are now past; what do we take from those two weekends as we face another 50 weeks before we do ‘em both, again?

If you were on-the-ground in Jerusalem during that epic week in 30 AD, Palm Sunday was the Lollapalooza party-day that kicked off the celebration that would culminate with Passover. The city population was estimated to be + 100,000; the Jewish pilgrims who came to worship and sacrifice tripled that number and loaded the streets with people who were ready for action.

Unknowingly, they were all players in a drama that had been foretold over 500 years earlier:

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9)

Without a script, the crowd fell into conviction:

“And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!’” (Mark 11:9-10)

There was a widespread longing that propelled their reaction to Jesus’ entry, on that donkey: they were ready for a political savior who would rescue them from the Roman occupation and restore their national dignity. Six weeks later, after death/burial/resurrection, the Apostles were still stuck in the myopia of the moment:

“Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)

Was He there, then, to establish His Kingdom?

That question had been asked-and-answered on Good Friday:

“Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘Is that your own idea, or did others talk to you about me? My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place’” (John 18:33,36)

Easter was the Resurrection. The crowds were at the city gate just one week earlier; now, it was three women at the empty tomb followed by a couple of reluctant fishermen who confirmed his absence. The angels interpreted the scene for the ladies:

“He is not here; He is risen, just as He said” (Matthew 28:5)

A flurry of sightings and conversations confirmed His back-from-death status. Almost six weeks pass, and then Jesus is ready to head back to His throne in Heaven – where His Kingdom was alive-and-well – and to give the marching orders to the guys who were still wondering about whether they could brand and distribute their Make Israel Great Again ball caps, for the Conquering Messiah.

Jesus made the agenda unmistakably clear:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8)

The Great Commission was off-and-rolling; His instruction was clear: go make disciples. When that is finished, He’d be back on a White Horse to declare his Kingdom’s take-over of Earth. Next time: no donkey or palm fronds; instead, he’d be wielding a sword and doing all the talking.

Right now, a vocal minority are following the Palm Sunday modus and declaring their representation of the Messiah in an effort to gain and exercise political power in America. Christian Nationalism?

There’s another segment of the Christian community who believe that the power they’ve received – from the Holy Spirit, who lives in them – is God’s capacity to pursue and accomplish their assignment to take the Gospel to the last outposts of ignorance and spiritual darkness.

The power of the Resurrection is the essence of Easter; the after-effects of that momentous victory is the navigational beacon driving me forward, until the King comes back to kick some…

Which epic Sunday informs your future pursuits? Are you a Palm Sunday fan, or Easter?

Bob Shank