joy of nine9

The Gospel reading for Palm Sunday is riveting  (Matthew 26:14—27:66); it moves us through a gamut of emotions as we picture crowds adoring Christ as He enters Jerusalem, witness the Last Supper, watch Judas betray his friend, Peter deny his Lord, the trials, the crowds now roaring for Jesus’s death, and the agony of the crucifixion.
However, what strikes me this year about the Passion narrative is that everyone eventually ends up serving God, whether they know it or not, whether they act in an ungodly manner or out of weakness.
Judas betrays Jesus but his actions end up being part of God’s plan. Peter betrays Christ but God uses his weakness later when Peter asks for forgiveness and is told to feed Christ’s sheep three times. The crowds demand the release of a criminal rather than Jesus, but the Father uses their sinfulness to send Jesus to the cross in order to save them all.
The most dramatic illustration of the point that God is in control occurs right at the end of the passage; the temple leaders demand Pilate take action to make sure Jesus’ disciples don’t steal His body. Pilate sets a guard at the tomb and seals it closed to prevent anyone from falsely proclaiming Jesus has risen from the dead. The Resurrection takes place anyway, with Roman security in place to validate that this was not subterfuge.
The crowds which welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem had no idea they would call for His blood a week later; when they called for His blood at Pilate’s palace, they had no idea His blood would save all who choose to follow Christ.
To have faith is to trust all things, even our mistakes and blunders will end up serving the will of God.