Beyond the Optics

There's a great passage of Scripture in Philippians 2 which can be important to think upon as we enter this Holy Week, reminding us of the meaning behind the events about which we read and even
dramatize:
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus came to Jerusalem for the final week before His crucifixion.  He had been hailed as a miracle worker, a deliverer - a King, even, and rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday in what has been called a "triumphal entry."  We have to be careful to consider, though, the messages that the earthly ministry of Christ have to communicate to us - about Him, and about ourselves.  We are called to humble ourselves before the King who humbled Himself before death.  We can surrender ourselves in order to accept the free gift of salvation that Jesus died to purchase for us.

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In John 12, we read about the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem:
12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' The King of Israel!"
14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:
15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey's colt."
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

This passage of Scripture can indicate to us some of the qualities of the identity of our Lord.  He was regarded as the one who would come to "save" - expressed through the word, "Hosanna."  He was looked upon as the future King of Israel; perhaps they saw Him in that regard in the political sense, but certainly in God's eyes, He had another idea about what His Kingdom would look like.   

Even though they may have been confused or even incorrect about His identity, still the events of Holy Week can help us to see who He is and who we are in Him.

I want to talk about true identity today.  I came across an intriguing story about an event called Face of the Globe.  It's from the Australian website Sunshine Coast Daily, and it's about a finalist of this not-so-typical "beauty" pageant; perhaps its not a beauty pageant at all.  The story centers on Erin Stanfield, who was crowned Face of the Globe Australia.  

She said, "Face Of The Globe is a little bit different than your normal run of the mill pageant."  She is quoted as saying, "You're judged on your journey and what you've done in the lead up and how you're a role model for women rather than what you look like."  She added, "I have spent the last six months tirelessly fundraising, volunteering, participating in charity work, making appearances at local attractions and doing good deeds around the Sunshine Coast community. I've been eat sleeping and breathing this."   The finals are coming up in Paris in a number of weeks.

This story caught my eye, because I think it does center on identity rather than just outward appearance.  You could say it's all about works, but there does seem to be quite a bit of substance here.  It seems that the message is more important than the optics.

Now, back to the events of what we commemorate as Palm Sunday.  To the people gathered at the entrance to Jerusalem, there was the appearance of a mighty King, a deliverer, one who would set Israel free from the cruel oppression of the Romans.  That was the outward appearance to which people gravitated.  But, there was something else going on, and that can be instructive for us today.

Surely, Jesus rode into Jerusalem to make a statement, as well as to fulfill a prophecy.  He didn't surround Himself with a legion of soldiers or come riding in on a gallant horse - no, He selected a humble donkey.   The message was more important than the optics. 

And, that's where we have to go when we consider the story of Jesus, especially regarding Holy Week.  We see a man who came into Jerusalem hailed as a King, who knew what He was facing, and who was put to death by the religious leaders and the Roman officials.  Many know the story, but we have to consider the "why" of the story and its implications for each of us.  

The cross is a powerful symbol of love, sacrifice, and forgiveness, and it is a reminder to us of the salvation that Jesus purchased for us through His punishment.  He was indeed the Son of God, who became a man and humbled Himself before death for us.  That's who He was, and by our identifying with that death, we have taken His nature into our hearts.

So, during this Holy Week, we can go beyond the story, deeper than the outward appearance of the story of a suffering servant, and consider that He did this for you and me, so that we can have a change of identity.  The optics of Palm Sunday were quite significant, but we must realize it's more than just a nice story of a man who wanted to be King, it was the identification of a man who was our Savior, who calls us to identify with Him so that we can be changed.