An Unforgettable Parade

The Seahawks victory parade following this year’s Super Bowl Championship was one for the history books. The crowd that gathered in the downtown streets of Seattle was estimated to be anywhere from 750,000 to a million strong. Children were hoisted on parents’ shoulders. Adolescents shimmied up street signs to get a better view. Workers stood at open windows in office buildings. And even rooftops served as parade-watching venues.

As I walked up 4^th Avenue to capture video of the parade on my iPhone, I was blown away by the atmosphere. The crowds were exuberant. The cheers were deafening. The emotional energy was palpable. It was unlike anything I have experienced before (with the exception of the Seahawks victory parade in 2014).

I couldn’t help but think of the description of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem as recorded in the New Testament. Eyewitnesses of that first Palm Sunday reported a similar scene. There were non-stop cheers from those lining the cobblestone streets. Instead of flags and banners, the first century parade-watchers waved branches of palm trees as an expression of their devotion.

In the case of Jesus’ parade, the gathered masses were not celebrating what he had accomplished. They were heralding the anticipated fulfillment of what he would accomplish in the future. The rabbi’s entrance riding a donkey called to mind messianic passages from the Old Testament. Ironically, Israel’s promised deliverer would be seated on a beast of burden, not on a victorious white steed. Many of those who welcomed Jesus’ arrival into the city of Jerusalem were shouting “hosanna,” a Hebrew word that means: “Lord, save us.”

Unexpectedly, within five days as the strewn palm branches on the streets were wilting and turning brown, another group of people would be shouting “crucify him!” Cries for deliverance rooted in the anticipation of a Savior’s intervention were drowned out by those calling for the rabbi’s death.

Curiously, the divergent cries from both crowds culminated in what we Christians believe to be the promised salvation and deliverance from sin long anticipated by the people of God. We embrace the truth that the salvation for which the Palm Sunday crowd called did in fact result in the recognition of a Savior. But not in the way that many expected. Instead of a victorious conqueror appearing as a superhero, the Savior of the world who revealed himself appeared as a suffering servant.

The fulfillment of the requested salvation (hosanna) required a death. But not just any death. The forgiveness of humanity’s transgressions pictured in the sacrificial system of ancient Israel (through the offering of spotless lambs) would require a morally sinless individual whose death would serve as a communal sacrifice. The execution of an innocent victim who claimed divine origin would be referred to as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Such a sobering snapshot of injustice is the essence of what Christians call “good news.”

And thus for millions of Christ-followers around the world, this weekend marks the beginning of Holy Week. It is a week that finds us recalling the last days of Jesus’ life that began with a Sunday that wasn’t so bad and ended with a not-so-good Friday. A parade evolved into a funeral procession. But then the evolution continued into a celebration of supernatural proportions.

Yes, the purpose of the Seahawks parade was to commemorate a victory already achieved. It was well-earned and much deserved. It was the exclamation point to a job well done.

But the purpose of the Jesus’ parade was a bit different. It was a chance to look forward to what was yet to be accomplished.And though there were no marching bands or decorated floats in the Jerusalem parade, that world-changing event remains memorable.

In fact, if we listen, we can hear the drumbeat that provided the cadence for a parade that pointed to what was still to come. It’s the drumbeat of love that continues to point in a forward direction calling us to anticipate what is still possible in spite of how things presently seem.

Photo by Brady Leavell on Unsplash