Did You Notice Him?

Red Square, New Year 2000! 

Scripture:

Mark 11:11   Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Observation:

Jesus had just made his entry into the city of Jerusalem. It all fit the scene of Zechariah 9:9 so beautifully, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (NIV) He had ridden the colt, people were singing songs of praise and branches had been laid at his feet — and yet, by the time he made it to the temple, things seemed to have quieted down. Who was it that had noticed him? Was it the group of pilgrims who had been traveling with him? The deeper he went into the city, the more the crowd probably trailed off. He wasn’t arriving as a mighty warrior on a handsome steed to overthrow the government. He was a pilgrim on a donkey. 

Mark makes it seem as if the fanfare subsided by the time he reached the temple. It was already late in the day and people were closing up their businesses and heading home. It had been exciting but now as Jesus and the disciples scanned the landscape of the temple, things were quiet. The disciples wouldn’t know what Jesus was thinking but I’m guessing that he was anticipating the week ahead. It would be much different than anyone would have imagined. Jesus looked around as the scene grew quiet, and then they simply went out to Bethany with the twelve. 

Application:

The symbolism of the day was great. We all know it as Palm Sunday and we make a big deal about it with children singing and palm branches waving. However, while this did happen, it also appears that many people in Jerusalem took no note of what was going on. Especially those who saw themselves at the center of religious power — those at the temple. 

This is the second day of the new year, and a new decade. I remember well where I was two decades ago as we rang in the year 2000. My family and I were standing on Red Square in Moscow, Russia. The whole night was a bit surreal and we weren’t aware of the implications of everything that was happening. We had to get to there early to try and make it to the center of the city. We went through a series of seven security screenings and when we finally made it to the square it was sectioned off into four areas, each separated by a line of soldiers with automatic weapons. Large TV screens had been placed on the buildings and before midnight, then President Boris Yeltsin came on to give a speech. We stood in shock as he announced his resignation and that a new leader would be taking his place, Vladimir Putin. No one had ever heard of him before, but we watched as his face suddenly filled the screens and he spoke to the nation. We didn’t pay a lot of attention to him because we didn’t know who he was and we were all there to celebrate. 

The night wore on and finally at midnight a great cheer rose up from the crowd and the fireworks were spewed into the night air. It was a new decade — a new millennium — a new era, but none of us really knew what would be in store. The reality was that we didn’t really notice the new leader. He was a blip on the screen of the celebrations of that night and yet, he would go on to dramatically shape the world and he remains President, twenty years later. 

Most life-changing events don’t happen with a big bang and fanfare. The people who will change our lives usually come upon the scene in a very undramatic fashion. Most of the time we don’t notice those who will make such a big difference. 

Jesus is at work in our world today but far too often, we don’t notice him. We are distracted by the noise of the world and fail to see that he is here, quietly and subtly at work, calling the world to him. If we open our eyes we will see the signs of his coming because they fit perfectly with the prophesies of old. When we are attentive to his work we will see that he is not going to bring about political transformation. Jesus is at work in the margins of society, ministering to the poor and needy. He invites us to join him there where there will be little or no attention, but the kingdom of God will be advancing. The work of the kingdom is far beyond what the world anticipates. We must be attentive so that we notice him, because only when we see him will we know how to follow him. That is the call of discipleship, and it is a good call for this next decade of our lives. Don’t be distracted, but notice him, and now — follow close, because we need his guidance. 

Prayer:

Lord, may I see you today and follow you on this journey. Amen.