Jesus is making his Triumphant entry into Jerusalem. As he enters the city, the people lay their cloaks and palm branches on the ground in an act of reverence. The people proclaim “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”(v9) It is a public declaration that Jesus is the King— the Messiah. The whole city was stirred at this proclamation asking, “who is this?” Jesus then immediately clears the temple as a prophetic announcement of his identity as Messiah. Jesus heals the lame and blind, and the children sing out “Hosanna to the Son of David”. In these acts, Jesus is bringing a revolution, but not through some wild show of force. Jesus is reordering the temple to work against the nationalistic impulse that had caused the money changers to set up shop in the outer court — the only place reserved for Gentiles to gather in worship. Similarly, the blind and lame were not allowed to enter the Temple. (Lev 21:18) But to everyone’s surprise, Jesus’ revolution causes those who previously were unwelcome in the temple to now be welcomed in. But not all are cheering the arrival of this revolution. The chief priests and teachers of the law are left “indignant”(v15) at the sight of Jesus’ Messianic announcement. Jesus’ shutting down of the Temple assumed that he had the authority to do so. This was not welcomed by those who had a stake in the ethnic and nationalistic divisions in Israel. 

In this season of Lent, we raise our voices in welcome of the Son of David. And we ask Jesus to challenge our systems of othering and division so that we can more faithfully live into his Kingdom revolution.