Marking Passover and Palm Sunday

Published 9:32 pm Saturday, April 12, 2014

Two significant religious holidays nearly coincide this year, though their messages — at first glance — seem to conflict.

Today is “Palm Sunday,” a day that commemorates Jesus Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem in glory.

The Jewish holiday of Passover — which commemorates the slaying of the Egyptian first-born and the preservation of the Jews — begins Monday at sundown.

How are these two alike?

Palm Sunday begins Passion Week, a tumultuous time for Christians. It begins with the exaltation of Jesus by the populace on one day, and ends with his betrayal and public rejection and execution within the week. Next Sunday — Easter — is something new altogether.

We’re reminded that earthly glory is fleeting — and for the malleable multitudes, Jesus’ reception was more earthly glory. That’s symbolized by many denominations by keeping the palms used in the ceremonies, then burning them next year to serve as the ashes for Ash Wednesday.

Christ’s glory had nothing to do with strewn palms and riding into town amid cheers. It had to do with his subservience to God.

Likewise, Passover isn’t about earthly designs, but immortal ones.

“The Jewish Passover celebration is designed for, by and about Jews,” Rabbi Neal Katz, of Tyler, once explained. “It’s central to our story and history. That said, the Passover is also a metaphorical story applicable to all nations and even to individuals in their own personal ‘Egypt.’ There is spiritual baggage in each community that needs to be redeemed. The message of the story is God cares, God loves us, God is listening to us, hears our cries, God saves and God redeems. Its message is universal.”

Ancient Israelites living in Egypt were powerless, according to the biblical accounts. Though they had once prospered in that land, they had been enslaved for four centuries.

Around the year 1250 B.C., Moses was called by God from the wilderness to confront Ramses II, and to order him to free the Hebrew slaves or suffer consequences from God. The refusal of pharaoh to relent brought on 10 plagues in succession, each worse than the last. The 10th plague — death — killed the firstborn of all living creatures in Egypt, but the Lord “passed over” the Jewish faithful who identified themselves by marking the top and sides of their doorframes with lamb’s blood. The slaves did not stay to exalt in their God’s victory; instead, they prepared to quickly flee their taskmasters.

Soon, about 600,000 men on foot, along with women and children, set out.

The real point is subservience, not earthly glory. Christ was not swayed by the adulation of the crowds; He walked his lonely path in adherence to His Father’s will.

In the same way, Pharaoh would not bow to God, and was taught the hard lesson of subservience — that he, himself, was no god.

We too often look for a secular messiah, and we too often give undue glory to political leaders.

Palm Sunday and Passover point the way. We cannot look to man and his works for hope. Hope comes from God alone.