Passion Week

One of the most remarkable things about Jesus is how he was able to ignore the voices of men that flooded Him with both opposition and praise. And it wasn't that he just gritted his teeth and tuned them out - he wasn't thrown by man's opinion precisely because he saw what was really going on. He was always peering around the corner to see what was coming next. Things were never as they seemed.

On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem as a king with coats laid before him, with shouts of "Hosana," and with the praise ordained for Him from the lips of infants and babes. Five days later he was murdered - hanging naked and nailed to a cross.

Reading the scriptures, I can tend to loose sight of how quickly it all happened. How many people who shouted "Hosana" on Monday also shouted "Crucify Him" on Friday? Undoubtedly many voices uttered both phrases (take the disciples as proof). Man's approval is like the house built on sand. When the going gets tough, it suddenly crumbles beneath your feet.

What was Jesus feeling when the crowds cheered Him into Jerusalem to make him King? Was he tempted to entertain their wishes and take the throne then and there? Was there a moment when he thought the Father's cup had passed from him?

Or was the situation heartbreaking in its irony - perhaps He studied the cheering crowds and silently picked out those who would curse him a few days later.

One thing is certain: Jesus was not fooled by man's approval, but set His face like flint and kept his eyes on the Father - and the Father's approval - from Monday all the way till Friday.