Right Before Your Very Eyes – March 29, 2026, Palm Sunday
Zechariah 9:9-10, Luke 19:28-46
March 29, 2026 – Palm Sunday
This sermon title is reminiscent of that classic line you’d hear at maybe a circus or a carnival. You’d hear it when somebody was “hawking” some sort of entertainment, maybe something that would be considered “amazing” or “out of the ordinary.” Or maybe it’s something you’d hear a magician say when they were about to perform some kind of a special magic trick. “That’s right ladies and gentlemen, you will see it here, right before your very eyes.”
That’s what came to mind for me when I read again the story of Palm Sunday. In Luke’s account, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem as he approached that day. And Luke is the only one who included that in his account. Jesus wept – he lamented – he agonized over the city, saying, “Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace. But they are hid from your eyes.”
Think about it. The Messiah had come! After centuries of waiting, the Messiah had come! After years of oppression, this time by Rome – but other conquerors in the past – the Messiah had come! But when he did, the people couldn’t see what he was really all about! And his lament that day was that “The time is here!” “It’s right before your very eyes!” “But you don’t get it!”
Maybe those guys in the circus or the magicians who used that phrase wanted people to believe they were hawking something that was unbelievable, or miraculous. But in this case, Jesus really was miraculous! He was the Messiah! He had come, just like all the scriptures prophesied! Zechariah wrote, “Lo, your king comes to you! Triumphant and victorious is he! Humble and riding on a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9) It was all happening – right before their very eyes! But they didn’t get it!
But, think about this! Even though they didn’t get it, Jesus didn’t stop this parade! Right? He didn’t say, “Ok forget it, people!” “I am not what you’re expecting, so let’s just forget this whole thing!” No he didn’t. In fact, this was all his idea! He’s the one who caused this to happen! He made arrangements for it! All the Gospel writers tell us that. He sent his disciples into town to obtain that donkey. He knew what all this meant. He knew the picture he was presenting to those people. It was, right before their very eyes! And yet, they couldn’t see it!
So much has been said about this story over the years. I believe it was a focal point in history. The Messiah, the one the scriptures pointed to – for centuries – came riding into the holy city. Jesus recognized how important that moment was – not only for the people then, but for all future generations – including ours. That’s right! It’s important for us today that Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day long ago. We too celebrate the coming of the Messiah.
Early in the history of the Church, it was determined that the Old Testament – the Jewish scriptures – would be part of the Christian faith, too. Jesus didn’t supersede the old scripture. He was, in fact, part of it! He was the Messiah those scriptures prophesied. He was and is God incarnate. And now, that same God – the God of the Jewish scriptures – stepped into history. And this – Palm Sunday – is the defining moment.
Think about it. Up until now, the people had heard Jesus speak. They had seen him perform miracles. And some of them had even seen him walk on water! His fame was growing! And of course, so was the controversy surrounding him. And now this was the moment. This was the day the Messiah had arrived! And yet the people who were there couldn’t see it. Even though it was right before their very eyes!
Of course, one of the biggest problems they had, was that they couldn’t see beyond Rome. They had been conquered. They were subjugated. And they didn’t like it. That reality filled all of their thoughts. Their longing for freedom consumed them.
They did remember David, though. David was also a big part of this event. Because the Messiah would come from his lineage. And now at least the people understood that about Jesus. In our story from a few weeks ago, they didn’t know it. Remember? They thought Jesus had come from Galilee, and they knew the Messiah would come from Bethlehem. So how could this be him?
Well, now they finally understood that Jesus fit that criteria. And they were happy! Because, for centuries, they had longed for “a king like unto David.” His were the “glory days” of Israel. Now, they were making that connection. Now, the Messiah had come! And they were ready to give him David’s crown!
They shouted, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.” There’s no doubt here! The other Gospels say, “Blessed is he who comes…” But Luke says “Blessed is the king…” And he’s also the only one who gives us the Pharisees’ response to that. They said, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” And then Luke is the only one who gives Jesus’ answer – which is why this is my favorite version of this story! He said, “If these were silent, the very stones would cry out!” It’s been suggested that he was actually quoting the prophet Habakkuk at that point. Habakkuk prophesied that the stones would cry out from the walls of the Temple against the injustice that was being done to the people! Would the Pharisees have made that association? I think so, especially when Jesus entered the Temple and did what he did!
So this is the point in the story that Jesus weeps over the city. “Would that even now you knew the things that make for peace, but they are hid from your eyes.” And then, he goes on to tell about the consequences of their missing what he was all about. He gives this ominous prediction of what would actually happen some forty years later, when Titus and the Roman legions would descend upon them and destroy the city – literally leaving “not one stone upon another.” “All because,” he said, “you did not know the time of your visitation.”
But notice, that was a lament, not a speech. It wasn’t said so that everyone could hear it, only those who were near him. (But I’m glad it was remembered and written down!) So, the crowds heard nothing of that lament, but they did see what Jesus did! “And he entered the Temple and began to drive out those who sold.” And now he was speaking so they could hear! “It is written,” he said, “‘my house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of thieves.”
That’s not what the people expected that day from a Messiah who had come to save them! They expected him to take the throne! They expected him to start the revolution!
Well, as history played out, Jesus’ prediction did come true. The revolution did happen. But it didn’t go so well. The Jewish Revolt – also called the Jewish-Roman War – erupted in the year 66AD, when the Roman Governor at the time seized the Temple treasury. Violence broke out, and the Roman General Vespasian was sent to crush the revolt. He systematically reconquered the region. But then Vespasian was actually made the Emperor of Rome in 69AD. So his son Titus took over the final assault on Jerusalem. And that’s when Jesus’ prophecy came true.
Maybe you remember some of that history. I’ve talked about it before. And maybe you remember what happened a few years later, when the final siege of the rebellion took place at a mountain fortress called Masada. You may have heard of that story. (Masada was originally a mountain retreat built by Herod the Great.)
So, Palm Sunday was the beginning of Holy Week. This was the week when all of the swirl – all the bruhaha – surrounding Jesus would come to a head. (Another one of my favorite words!) This is when all the prophecies about the Messiah would come true. But remember, the prophesies that came true were prophecies about “the suffering servant.” And those were the prophecies the people chose not to think about. They preferred the prophesies of the Messiah as “Conquering King.” He would come triumphant! But they weren’t crazy about that donkey part!
So, during Holy Week, the question is, do we believe who Jesus was and is, when it’s all right before our very eyes? Do we believe it and do we follow even when he represents something we don’t expect. Expectations can be bad. Someone once described expectations as “pre-meditated resentments.” That often happens! When expectations are not fulfilled, we feel resentment.
So, Holy week is a time to reassess what Jesus really means to us. Is he who he says he is, or is he only instead what we want him – what we expect him – to be? The people in the Palm Sunday story only wanted him to be one thing. And when Jesus didn’t fulfill their expectations, tragic things happened.
But of course the miracle of this story – and of Holy Week – is that tragic things were supposed to happen! They were part of God’s plan. Later that week, Jesus would do what he did on the cross, and because of that, we now can hail him as king! But we hail him as more than just the king of one tiny country, in a remote corner of the world, a long time ago. We can hail him as the “Conquering King” of all time, and of all the world!
So yes! Blessed is he – blessed is the king – who comes in the name of the Lord! May we never miss what God is doing – especially when it’s “Right Before Our Very Eyes.”
Prayer
Eternal God, fill our thoughts with the events of Holy Week. Help us to think of Jesus and all he went through that week, and especially this day when we remember his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Help us to know for sure that everything that happened that week, happened for us. For we pray in his name, Amen.