This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee

⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

¹⁰ When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” ¹¹ The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21:1-11)

I love the way Jesus is identified in this passage. He has come to Jerusalem, the holy city, and people want to know about all the fuss. The Palm Sunday story features crowds. The crowds are shouting and following.

And Jesus is identified as a prophet and as one from Nazareth in Galilee. Matthew emphasizes Jesus's prophetic role, his teaching, and his similarities to and continuity with Moses and Isaiah.

But, of course, prophets are prophetic, and prophetic messages make us uncomfortable.

The emphasis remains on his ministry in Galilee. He is not a Jerusalemite. He's an outsider – from a small town. Nazareth is so unfamiliar that the region must be mentioned as well. What good can come from Nazareth? Why all this turmoil over a Galilean?

Jesus comes from the periphery, literally from the margins of the empire. Perhaps this is why Jesus seems to gravitate toward the marginalized.

More Resources

All Glory, Laud, and Honor

A Benediction (Or Miscellaneous Thoughts)

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2. Last year's reflections on Palm Sunday are found here.

3. You can read an online version of this newsletter here.