Reflection Questions: Palm Sunday

Readings: Zechariah 9:9-17; Psalm 118:19-26; Luke 19:28-40.

1. These days we like to sing ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’ and ‘You are the humble king’, but are not so keen to sing ‘Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord’ and ‘Onward Christian soldiers’.  There are many facets to the character and personality of the Lord.  Read Zechariah 9:9-17.  Identify some of the (seemingly) contrasting descriptions.

2. What facet of Jesus are you most comfortable with?  What facet do you find most challenging to accept, or relate to him as?

3. Read Luke 19:28-40. The crowds who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem mistook the nature of his kingdom, looking for an earthly redeemer, a political victor.  They missed the clue that Jesus rode into the city on an ass (the sign of a leader coming in peace), rather than a horse (the sign of a leader coming for battle).  They were looking for a king ‘created in their own image’.  How is Psalm 118:22 a warning and reminder to us to not make the same mistake?

4. As you have identified the facets of Jesus’ Kingship that challenge you, spend some time praying for a fuller understanding and acceptance of Who He is, and how his Lordship can be expressed in your life.

5. As followers of Jesus, we aim to grow like him in nature and in lifestyle. Courage is a quality that Jesus demonstrated in his final days; he knew what he was facing, but still chose to move forward, knowing it was a death sentence.  Paul showed similar courage, returning to Jerusalem in the face of prophecies that he would be arrested (Acts 20 & 21).

What example of courage in the face of (almost) certain ‘failure’ can you think of, in your own life, or another’s?  Can you suggest any promises from Scripture that would encourage you to be courageous and trust God through a crisis?

6. (a) What do you think of the following statement by Bible commentator William Barclay? 

‘If Jesus had been content to claim to be a prophet, the probability is that he need never have died. But he could be satisfied with nothing less than the topmost place. With Jesus it is all or nothing. People must acknowledge him as king, or not receive him at all’.

(b) Do you see him merely as a prophet – a guide to a moral life, a life coach?  How are we challenged to be bold, claiming the Lordship of the One we follow?

7. Jesus’ appeal is to the kingship of the heart, not the kingship of the throne – not in the might of arms, but in the strength of love (referring to Barclay again!).  Read John 3:17, then John 3:16, and then John 3:18. Do we share the gospel as an invitation or as a threat?  How can we share the appeal of Jesus, to the hearts of the needy?

8. Read Romans 8:1-2.  Give thanks for freedom from the law of sin and death, won for us by Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, and celebrate his victory over death this Easter season.