It was Palm Sunday a few days ago – a day I’ve written about, mainly negatively because although it was an important day that fulfilled prophecy, Jesus was crucified just a few days later…apparently by some of the same people.

That said, maybe the Palm Sunday crowd was just disappointed that Jesus didn’t overthrow the Romans, but the Jerusalem crowd incited for his crucifixion. Two different crowds? It wouldn’t be the first time the Jerusalem crowd was out of step. Look again at the visit of the wise men as recorded in Matthew 2:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. (Matthew 2.1 – 3, ESV, emphasis mine)

Then notice that the Jerusalem crowd is similarly out of step at the triumphal entry (Palm Sunday):

The disciples…brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21.6 – 11, ESV, emphasis mine)

God has always done some of his best work away from the “important cities” and “the elites” of society:

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1 Corinthians 1.26 – 29, ESV)

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” (John 1.43 – 46, ESV)

He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (John 1.11, KJV)