The Cross of Christਨਮੂਨਾ

Palm Sunday: An Upside-Down Kingdom

Have you ever been watching a great movie but left the room for a minute and ended up missing an epic scene?

Thankfully, technology allows us to rewind and review what we missed so we don’t lose those crucial moments.

This week is called “Passion Week” on the Christian calendar. The term passion comes from the Latin passio, meaning “suffering” or “endurance.” These are excellent descriptors of Jesus’s final days, which focused on His suffering and crucifixion.

The days progress from Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday, each day marking key moments in the narrative of Jesus' journey to the Cross and His ultimate sacrifice for humanity.

This week, we will “rewind and review” some perspectives on Passion Week through familiar stories found in Mark’s Gospel. Widely accepted as the first Gospel to be written, Mark’s brevity and sense of urgency narrow the focus to Jesus’ humanity and actions.

Jesus knew His time on earth was ending, so what were His priorities in His final week, knowing He was destined to die? Seeing the things Jesus focused on might help us see what He is most passionate about.

Today’s passage begins the journey on a high note.

We call it “The Triumphal Entry” or “Palm Sunday,” as Jesus entered Jerusalem to celebrate the crowds, fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy of the coming King (Zechariah 9:9-10).

His entry was as unconventional as His ministry. Instead of a king riding on a stallion, He borrowed a donkey.

It was like a presidential inauguration asking to borrow my first car, a used 2-door Honda Accord; it seemed so beneath Him.

Or was it?

It was a humble act, but this week was also the beginning of unspeakable humiliations at the hands of religious leaders, defecting disciples, and horrific suffering.

But at this moment, Jesus demonstrated that His Kingdom was nothing like earthly kingdoms.

He turned conventional wisdom on its ear. He turned power upside down. He would be a king like no other. His reign would not be marked by power grabs, political manipulation, or personality cults but rather by service, sacrifice, and love.

Through humiliation would come redemption, transformation, and glorification.

His Kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36-38), and in this final week, Jesus wanted His followers to know the same.

Our hope is never in political power, nationalistic pride, economic gains, or technological advancements.

It is in our humble King who reigns in an upside-down Kingdom.

Prayer: Lord, open my eyes this week to the reality of who You are and Your priorities for our world and my life. Help me to embrace the way of Jesus even when it requires walking the humble road to Your eternal Kingdom. Amen.

Reflection: Pause today and reflect on Jesus' humble entry into Jerusalem and how it challenges your understanding of leadership and power as a man. How do you use the world’s ways to accomplish your goals instead of demonstrating humility in your life, home, and workplace?