Texts: Matthew 21:1-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66

This is in many ways a very strange and unsettling day in the church. We begin with the joy of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, singing “Hosanna to the Son of David.” The crowds cheered Jesus that day like the people of Regina welcoming the Roughriders after winning the Grey Cup. But the crowd’s voice turned ugly a few short days later. “Hosanna!” changed to “Crucify!” As we participate in the cheers, so we take part in those same cries.

When we hear these two stories, it may well be tempting to say that we would have cheered Jesus, but never have called for his death. We want to pat ourselves on the back and say “I would not have deserted Jesus.” Is that the truth? Can any one of us truly say we would not have broken as Peter broke, protecting himself by denying Jesus—not once but three times?

Surprising things happen in crowds, and people find themselves acting in ways that they would never do on their own. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, he tapped into some very big expectations—hopes that a “Son of David” would come to liberate the people. But how many noticed that he was riding on a donkey, not a horse, and declaring that he was coming in peace, not in war. He came to declare the Kingdom of Heaven, not an earthly kingdom, but as always, people will see and hear what they want to see and hear.

What happened at that so-called trial? Was it a mob scene of people whipped to a fury by unmet expectations, or were there agents provocateurs in their midst, or… there are many suppositions. What we o know is that the crowd cried “Crucify,” and Jesus went to his death.

What we know about ourselves is that we cannot shift the blame for Jesus’ death to other people, rather, we have to acknowledge our own participation in the forces of evil that led to the cross.

When we look at Jesus on the cross, we are looking at ourselves and all the failures of our lives. When we stand in grief at Jesus’ tomb, we are grieving not just for Jesus but for all the losses of human life.

But when we hear that centurion’s cry, we stand once again convicted in our faith, knowing that through his death, Jesus has won the victory for God and for God’s people.

The cross is no empty symbol, a reminder of a shameful death, but the very instrument of God’s victory, becoming for us the emblem of love beyond all imagining

We are participants in this holy drama from start to finish,. We join our voices to the voices of the crowds of Jerusalem, both acclaiming our king and rejecting him in his hour of need.

Let us pray:

[Collect of the Way of the Cross.]