They were praising Jesus – but why? Because they saw Him coming to save them from the Roman occupation, to rescue them from a life of servitude to Rome. Their praises were for a conquering hero, not a dying savior.
He turned out to not be what they expected – not what they wanted!
I do not know if the crowd on Palm Sunday was the same as the crowd on Good Friday, but I can understand how they could have been the same. They could praise Him when they thought He would meet their needs in the way they wanted. But praise could easily turn to scorn when they saw their needs would not be met in the way they wanted.
Hosanna in the Highest!
Growing up in a typical Protestant home, I heard over and over how the crowds cried out in praise as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday. Often we would wave palm branches while singing, “Hosanna!” This was all based on the familiar verses in the Gospels.
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosannato the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
Formany years I have sang songs of praise crying “Hosanna” thinking I was just singing a praise to God.
What a fickle bunch!
Before the week was out, the crowd was crying “Crucify him!”
Many sermons have been preached on how changeable, how unreliable the crowd in Jerusalem was. Many have questioned how they could praise Him one day and cry out for His death…
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Grandma's Ramblings 