John 12:12-19 (Click here for text)
Every action Jesus takes is designed to communicate God's Kingdom and just how different it is to the expectations that people tend to project onto God. His triumphal entry into Jerusalem is packed with irony. As with so many passages in John, he describes the different perspectives and symbolises how Jesus' own is in contrast with them all.
Firstly there is the crowd. They are well in role proclaiming and waving their 'hosannas' around. Their words are a literal pleading to Jesus to save them and yet the salvation they seek is at best temporal and at worst a switch in political power base to them. However, spurred on by the miraculous sign of Lazarus they are really hopeful that at the least, something interesting might happen!
Secondly, the disciples haven't really got much of a clue. They are involved (and according to the synoptics instrumental in assisting Jesus with his mode of transportation) but they are totally bewildered. They will only be able to interpret events once they have all unfolded.
Jesus, as ever, knows exactly what He is about. He chooses deliberately to undermine the image of a warrior messiah and in contrast recreates the symbolism of the prophet Zechariah. He is about peace 'to the nations' and his victory is of justice. It is again ironic that the Pharisees comment echoes this idea - 'the world has gone after him' - but without understanding the true implications of their words.
It seems that Jesus is planning for his actions to be understood in hindsight. This is the amazing faith that Jesus demonstrates. To follow His understanding of what God is calling Him to - through death and to the resurrection beyond. Talk about a maintaining a sense of perspective!
This, of course, is the Christian perspective. Not only life before death, but to walk in His footsteps through death and to to what lies beyond. But it takes a lot of faith to maintain this sense of perspective when the decisions on this side of eternity cost you something!
No comments:
Post a Comment