The Parade: People Who Would Never Forget
Give Jesus your heart and join in His parade.
Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, celebrated on Palm Sunday, was a time of great excitement. As we see in John 12:12-19, the streets where filled with people hoping to catch a glimpse of the prophet they had all heard so much about. The sight of Jesus riding serenely into town on a donkey filled the hearts of many different types of people with great joy. This momentous occasion transformed the hearts of people from all walks of life who were there:
The passer-bys were people who hadn't planned to be there at all. They were travelers in town for Passover who just happened to get caught up in one of the greats moments in history. Enthralled, these people found themselves wanting what Jesus had and found their lives and hearts touched by Him.
The poor had always loved Jesus because He gave them hope for a brighter tomorrow. Jesus rode upon a symbol of the lower class and the outcasts and downtrodden in the crowd saw Him and identified with Him. Through Jesus they could attain all the riches of heaven, so they humbled themselves before Him.
The political group was a number of people who were furious at the Romans and who hated their pagan practices and debauchery. They saw in Jesus the fulfillment of their desire to be free from the Roman government. But Jesus game to promote peace, not war, and those followers realized that day that their destructive ways were not the solution they needed. Instead they joined Jesus in a battle for love.
The powerful, the Pharisees, where also there that day. The Pharisees had long been in conflict with Jesus due to his refusal to follow the stances of typical leaders at the time. There were those who had stones that they intended to use to harm Jesus, but Jesus's message pierced their hearts and changed their lives.
The passionate were the final groups of followers there. They were people who loved Jesus because they had already seen what he could do: People who were healed or helped by Him. Jesus had touched so many lives that they praised him with cheers of "Hosanna!"
But Jesus's parade is not over; it continues today, and this time you have the chance to join in. People who invite Him into their hearts become followers in the parade celebrating Jesus. He is the hope of the world and our only hope for life everlasting with God. Will you walk away, or take His hand and join in? Will you give yourself to Him and allow your life to be transformed through Him?