This week we not only think about the Palm Sunday cries of “Hosanna” but also the Good Friday shouts of “Crucify him.” This is the week we approach, with Jesus, death. 

Not letting our minds and imaginations slip to quickly to resurrection, today the experiment is to take these passages and enter, prayerfully and imaginatively, into them. 

Here are the text to use… 

Matthew 21:1-11
Matthew 26:14 - 27:66

As described in your book, I want to encourage you to read these stories and place yourself in the scenes, take on the life of a character, see what they see, smell what they smell and feel what they feel. Try to be fully present in the story, don’t “turn the page” or think ahead. What would you be thinking and feeling as you yelled, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” What did the energy of crowd feel like? What were people saying to each other. What do you think the expression on Jesus’ face was? Was it a sunny day or overcast, was it warm or cold. What did you do afterwards? Ask the same questions as a person in the crowd who was yelling “Crucify him!” Why are you yelling those words? What are you thinking and feeling? Place yourself in the story. 

Here is a list of characters, you might think of or find others but do a few readings of the text and take on a different perspective each time. Let these readings be prayerful and imaginative. 

Ask the simple questions of what am I experiencing (sights, smells, sounds) as this person. 

Ask the who, what, when, where, why questions. 

As the character, process what you experienced and how you should respond to the situation. 

Here's the texts and some characters to engage with. 

Matthew 21:1-11

  • One of the 12 disciples. 
  • One of the two disciples Jesus sends to get the donkey.
  • The “Anyone” who might see the disciples taking the donkey. (read Luke’s version to fill in the blanks a bit.) 
  • Someone from the crowd waving palm branches and shouting hosanna. 
  • One of the folks giving up their cloak and tossing it on the ground. 
  • A person from the city asking, “who is this?” 
  • A crowd members telling folks about Jesus the prophet. 

You get the gist. Read through Matthew 26:14 - 27:66 in the same way, identify the different characters, ask the same questions and prayerfully experience the story. 

Grace and peace