Palm Sunday: The Battle and the Temple

Peter Fitch, St. Croix VineyardSunday, March 24, 2013

Elements of Synoptic Narrative

• Triumphal Entry• Cleansing Temple• Picture of Barren Fig Tree (in Luke it’s different

—weeping over city)• Jesus’ Authority Questioned

Strange Connection

• Esther, Ch. 1 & 2• Characteristics of an oppressing society– Defensive– Not self-critical– Largely unaware of the protection of privilege at

others’ expense

Contenders: Judas the Hammer

• Almost exactly 200 years before Jesus’ public ministry

• Begins campaign in 167 BC• Cleanses Temple in 164 BC• Beginning of Hanukkah• Celebration with hymns and palm branches• Family became kings and high priests

Contenders: Simon the Star

• Almost exactly 100 years after Jesus’ public ministry

• Another 3 year campaign, starting in 132 AD• Led by Simon bar Kosiba, called bar-Kochba

(‘son of the star’ from an ancient prophecy in Numbers 24)

• Hailed by Rabbi Akiba as Messiah• Coins with ‘year 1’, ‘year 2’, ‘year 3’

Contenders: Herod the Great

• Half-Jewish, half Idumean, married a Hasmonean (Maccabean) princess

• Roman over-lord, defeated Parthians who invaded Judea while Rome experiencing civil war between Octavius (Augustus) and Mark Antony in 37 BC

• 19 BC starts to rebuild the Temple in all its glory (will be the largest building in the world when completed in 63 AD)

Contenders: Simon Bar-Giora

• Great revolt against Romans from 66 to 70 AD• Ended with destruction of Temple and of

Jerusalem• Simon finally surrendered in a spectacular

way: dressed in white, with a purple cloak, he emerged from hiding on the Temple Mount

• Part of Titus’ ‘triumph’ and remembered on the Arch of Titus just outside the Roman Forum

Simply Jesus, N.T. Wright

“To see how all this works out in practice . . .”p. 117

Jesus

• A different battle• A different teaching about the Temple• See Wright, p. 127

Now, back to Esther

• Think of Esther as a picture of your soul• There are oppressing forces that you face, too• It’s not the Persians or the Romans, or anyone

else this time—it’s you, and your inability to be full of love

• Jesus has inaugurated a different kind of victory and you can join in it today