The story of Palm Sunday is an explosion of activity. People waving palms, shouting out, running ahead of Jesus and throwing down their cloaks for him. In fact, the passage say, that the whole city was in turmoil.

The word turmoil more literally states that the whole world was shaken. In fact, it’s the same verb used later in Matthew describing the earthquake when Jesus dies. Also, it’s the root we get words like “seismic” from. Everything seems in upheaval with the notable acceptation of Jesus. In fact, the passage is devoid of any description of Jesus responding in anyway whatsoever. Curious.

Rev. John Arnold explores this profound silence and proposes that this is the beginning of Jesus’s anticipatory grief of his own death. In fact, Rev. Arnold reveals how Jesus experience the five stages of grief during Holy Week and challenges to walk with Jesus to the cross.