Passover was a time of celebration, but it was also a time of high tension in Jerusalem. Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, in their book The Last Week, say that on that particular day people in Jerusalem would have witnessed two processions or parades— the Pilate Procession and the Jesus Procession.
The procession of Roman governor Pontius Pilate and his accompanying military force coming into the city from the west provided that military deterrent during the festival.
On the east side of the city, another parade was being planned – the arrival of one who would hopefully be a different kind of ruler. Jesus sends his disciples to get a colt and Jesus rides it down the steep road from the Mount of Olives to the Golden Gate of the city, with a crowd of his supporters shouting “Hosanna!”
When we’re waving those palm branches around on Sunday morning, one of the things we have to be careful with is not to miss that Jesus was intentionally setting up a comparison between the violent and powerful trend of the empire and the peaceful and grace-filled reign of God.
Choose the right parade.
Shalom, Paul