Passion Week - Pt 1

Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21:8-11 ESV). Last Sunday was "Palm Sunday." It is thought to begin the observance of “Passion Week.” The original title comes from the fact that Jesus entered Jerusalem on the Sunday before His death and resurrection, in a kind of First Century "ticker tape" parade. People put palm branches and pieces of clothing in His path and sang "Hosanna" to welcome Him. Even while the fanfare was going on, however, others were planning to arrest and execute Him. The name "Passion" has to do with Jesus' emotional, spiritual and physical suffering. The traditional name, with its emphasis on the palms, is less offensive. We prefer to repeat the hosannas, rather than the later cry: "Crucify Him!" I have often heard the reading of John's passion account in dramatic fashion on Good Friday. Worshipers shared the reading by participating as the "crowd" at the trial and crucifixion. It is difficult to choke out the words, "Crucify Him! Nail Him to the cross!" During the Second World War, a sharpshooter was being trained as an assassin. At one point, the trainee began to question his role as a sniper. He was not sure that when the time came he could actually kill another person in cold blood. The instructor said that if he had not brought it up, they would not have used him for the job. Anyone who might actually enjoy, or look forward to what could amount to cold-blooded murder is a psychopath who cannot be trusted. Such a person would be dangerous to the other soldiers sent in to support him and back him up. The instructor also said that, when the time actually came, it would be necessary to remember that the "target" was a vicious and evil enemy. The trainee said it would be different if the "target" were in the process of some evil deed when the execution occurred. If the enemy were holding a gun, about to shoot an ally, it would make sense to "drop him." The instructor snapped back: "No, it wouldn't! Death never makes sense." He went on to say that there is nothing sensible about killing an enemy even to save an ally. He said, "Killing doesn't make sense. War doesn't make sense. If we had any sense, we'd all go home!" The final training instruction had to do with avoiding those "second thoughts" when the time actually came. Once he had identified his "target," the trainee was no longer to think of him as a person. The fact that the "target" was a psycho, who enjoyed torturing prisoners, would not make the task any easier. The sniper was not to think of him as a person at all. The job was to zero in on a shirt button, or something similar, in a fatal zone. Make that the target just like a dot on a piece of paper and shoot it. Over and over, in his dreams, the sniper zeroed in on that button, his make-believe target. A twist of fate came when he finally had to do his job and the enemy appeared wearing no shirt. On those Fridays when we did the dramatic readings, we did not actually see Jesus, or hear the so-called "death rattle" when He breathed His last. We were not there and we cannot go back in time to be there. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to be there. I have never attended an execution and I have no desire to attend one. I can't imagine wanting to watch even a guilty person die. It is particularly painful to imagine the death of the Innocent One. This weekend, think about the sacrifice Jesus made for you. What does your cry really sound like? Is it “hosanna” or “crucify Him”?