Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on a tide of jubilant expectation. His disruption of peace and social order was annoying while he was in the small towns, out of the way. But here in the city he was a far more visible, more real threat to the authorities.
He brought his radical message and disruptive behaviour right into the heart of Jewish political and religious power, the Temple; and they couldn’t have that.
Even one of the twelve closest to him felt unsafe, uncertain around Jesus – enough to betray him to the authorities. Was it that Judas couldn’t accept the message Jesus delivered, or could he not bear the undermining of Jewish leadership? We can only guess.
Jesus had spent hours in the garden in deep prayer, agonising over the knowledge that to bring about God’s realm on earth, he had to enact this realm of peace, of forgiveness, in the face of injustice and violence.
Jesus stayed true to God’s mission. He did not run. He did not meet violence with violence.
And so he was arrested.
One of our witnesses has described the coming and going of the trials, as different Roman leaders resisted then bowed to the Jewish leaders and ordered Jesus’ execution.
Jesus carried the cross on which he would die through the streets. Witnesses along the way who had seen his peaceful, healing actions in the country now saw this man defeated. How confused they were, those who hailed Jesus as King of the Jews as he arrived in Jerusalem.
Jesus had been severely beaten, blood still dripping from wounds onto the street as he walked, his skin red, ripped, raw.
With the disciples all gone, fled in fear and disbelief, the women walked those last steps with Jesus.
And as we turn from Palm Sunday’s jubilant expectation into another Holy Week, we, too, walk with Jesus towards the cross. We, too, agonise over the costly decision to give up the life we have in this world in order to embrace true life in the realm of the Holy One who creates, redeems, reconciles.
We were surprised by the rain on Sunday, having got used to living in a drought and not really deciding on a wet weather plan. So some quick thinking revised the shape of the BWJ space slightly, in the spirit of improvisation! Luckily there was a decent sized shelter at the oval we had booked.
When the sun poked through the clouds and through the drizzle, it was quite a backdrop.
Again, Daniel Lee and friends created just the right atmosphere with their jazz guitars & drums.
And three characters shared moved between the groupings of people sharing their stories of the days before Jesus' crucifixion. The woman who had anointed Jesus at dinner evoked laughter, a soldier posed interesting questions, and Peter almost had people in tears at his sorrow having denied his relationship with Jesus.
People commented that this was a moving experience, and that they appreciated this opportunity to engage with the Holy Week story.
We reflected on the events of that week, and our journey through Holy Week this year, taking bread and wine for that journey to the cross.
