Feeling Palm Sunday
One recent study has identified 27 emotions.[i] That might not sound like a lot until you try to start naming emotions. What emotions have you felt in the past week? Joy? Sadness? Anger? Frustration? What else comes to mind?
The enemy numbs our emotions. Most men I meet who are struggling with an addiction are numbed emotionally. Few are aware of the emotional numbness. It’s not uncommon for men to be unable to identify only a few emotions. An emotionally numbed person often struggles to identify any emotion at all. A common marker of emotional numbness is the response, “I don’t know.” “How are you doing?” “I don’t know.” “How did that make you feel?” “I don’t know.”
Worse still, someone struggling with an addiction often believes feelings are the enemy. It is their unhealthy appetites that got them into this situation, after all. “If I could only stop desiring,” the addict thinks, “then I would be free.”
Our fully God-reflecting humanity is intended to be alive spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. God no more wants our emotions to shut down than he wants our minds to shut down as we grow in faith. In his essay, “The Emotional Life of Our Lord,” BB Warfield explains that the emotions of Jesus demonstrate the fullness of his divine-human nature and are a necessary part of his atoning work. Warfield concludes his essay by explaining, “As we survey the emotional life of our Lord as depicted by the Evangelists, therefore, let us not permit it to slip out of sight, that we are not only observing the proofs of the truth of his humanity, and not merely regarding the most perfect example of a human life which is afforded by history, but are contemplating the atoning work of the Saviour in its fundamental elements.” In other words, to fully grasp our salvation, we ought not merely examine the facts of the narrative of Christ’s work on the cross and its theological implications, but also step into the emotions of the Savior. Jesus’ emotions are part of his salvific work.
The author of Hebrews points out this remarkable truth about the connection of Jesus’ emotional life with his salvation this way, “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Heb 2:17). Jesus “had to” be made like us, emotions and all.
As we look to Easter, I want to invite us to feel the final week of Jesus’ life. My prayer is that as we feel the final week of Jesus’ life we would be drawn closer to Christ’s heart and experience.
Let’s begin our journey with Christ’s entry into Jerusalem late on Sunday, the day after the Sabbath on the week that would end with him being put to death just before Sabbath began (Sabbath began on sundown on Friday and concluded at sun down on Saturday).
The account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is contained in all four gospels. Below is Mark’s version of the account. I will point out a few additional details that Matthew, Mark, and John add to the account. As you read, consider how Jesus felt, how his disciples felt, and how the crowds felt
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:1-10)
For Jesus, there seems to be an emotional resolve. He is acting with great intention to demonstrate his messianic mission. The disciples trust Jesus, but are confused by the scene he is orchestrating. John gives us a glimpse into their emotions when he reflects that, “His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him” (John 12:16).
How about the crowds? They are excited! They are filled with anticipation! They respond to Jesus’ entry through the matrix of their messianic expectations. They cut branches and throw cloaks in front of Jesus as they would in front of the return of a conquering king. They shout out, “Hosanna!” which means “Save us!” or “Please save us!” “From what?” you might ask. From the Romans. They call out, “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” They believe that Jesus is the Messiah and that means that he will re-establish David’s kingdom. How? By overthrowing the Romans by force. So how did they feel? Triumphant. Emboldened.
There was some confusion and ambivalence in the crowd as well. First, a donkey was no way for a king to enter a city he was conquering. Second, Jesus had showed no proclivity toward violence. In fact, his teaching had opposed violence of every sort. And so, we have this interesting detail in Luke. Some in the crowd also shouted out, “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38). That chorus echoes the song of the angels who welcomed the birth of Jesus. Were those who cried out for peace believing that peace would come after Jesus’ overthrow of the Romans? Did they perhaps have hope for something supernatural to break through, bringing heaven’s peace to earth? John shares that those who were there to witness Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead were there. So some at least had supernatural expectations of Jesus. How did they feel? Peaceful? Calm? Introspective? Anticipating a surprise?
Doubtless, all were filled with hope and wonder. Matthew speaks also of the excited confusion that filled Jerusalem in the wake of Jesus’ triumphal entry, “And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, ‘Who is this?’ (Matt 21:10).
Returning to Jesus, he was resolute. He knew that this entry would stir the wrath and envy of the Jewish leaders and Romans alike. He was compassionate toward the people, hearing their desperate cries for salvation. He was likely disappointed by the crowd’s inability to see who he was and what he offered. There is another emotion in him that I look forward to understanding one day, but I can’t wrap my own finite emotions around. When the Pharisees demand, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples,” Jesus answers, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:39b-40). The Son of God has a connection to the joyous reception of his creation that creates what emotion in him? Comfort? Strength? Joy? I can’t wait to find out one day.
Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection restore to us our emotions jaded by the fall and our sin. May he continue his restoration of our emotions this Holy Week.
For More on Feeling Holy Week, Visit:
Feeling the Resurrection
You may also appreciate: Don’t Numb Your Feelings
Photo by Brady Leavell on Unsplash