From Palm Branches to the Cross: Did God’s Will Change?

Have you ever asked yourself, “Have I misunderstood what God's will is?”  Don’t criticize yourself; we all have misconceptions about God’s will and what we read in the Bible.

The Gospels tell the story of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, it makes for an interesting side note in the last days Jesus with His disciples.  Apostle John wrote how the people, “took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’” (John 12:13).

Why did the people wave palm branches and cry "Hosanna!"?  The same, fickle people, who welcomed Jesus, then on a whim, wanted the Christ crucified – why?  During that time political zealots used the palm branch as a symbol of insurrectionary rebellion, to conjured images of resistance and establish an independent Israel – free of Rome.  Things are no different today, people mix being Christian with their politics and Israel still fights for sovereignty.  The palm branches the people waved were nationalistic, a political expectation they had for Jesus – not for His deity and kingdom of peace.  And, the word Hosanna, Aramaic meaning "save, please," how is it used – spiritually or politically? 

Jesus turned out to be a great disappointment to the people of Israel, and a few days after waving their palm branches and crying "Hosanna," they turned on Him and cried, twice, "Crucify Him!" (Matt27:22-23; Mark 15:13-14, Lk 23:21, John 9:6, 15) 

So, was God’s will that the people praise Jesus as Lord when they waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna!”?  Then, did God’s will change, that Christ go to the cross for our atonement?  Or, have so many of us been operating on a misconception?  Waving a palm branch is no different than waving a rebel’s flag, it is rebellion, hope for a political messiah; not kneeling to the Messiah, the Lord of lords, the King of kings, God our Christ, our Atonement.

Thinking,  Owen <><