Miracles happen. This year we have had two Palm Sundays. I know we have because I did last Sunday’s devotional at Merrill Gardens as a Palm Sunday devotional. No one questioned it until I was through, and when they did, no one was real sure and no one had a calendar … so, we have had two Palm Sundays, last Sunday, at least at Merrill Gardens, and today so says the calendar. I was, of course, mistaken about last Sunday but, hey, one mistake in 27 years isn’t too bad.

Palm Sunday. Oh! What a glorious day. The teacher from Nazareth was coming into Jerusalem. Everyone had heard the stories. Here was the one who went around the countryside talking about loving one another and demonstrating that love by healing the blind, strengthening shattered limbs, casting out demons and raising the dead. Some were even saying he was the long awaited Messiah, the promised King of Israel. What a festive time it promised to be. The annual feast of Passover was at hand. The streets and stores were crowded; people had come for Passover from all over the world. Even some Roman Jews were there along with Jews from Corinth and Tarsus. Every nation under the sun, at least every nation known to them, was represented, and now the King was coming.

The Bible doesn’t say but I picture that morning as cool and clear, a truly glorious day. The multitudes came from the gates of the city to see this one who was coming, to see the King.

“Here he comes,” began to be heard from well down the trail. The people lined the trail with their coats and with the branches of the palm tree to make the road soft for the little donkey to walk on as they entered the city. It was a beautiful time, filled with the emotion of the hour. Soon thousands of voices rose in unison,

“Hosanna, the King is coming” began to ring through the air. It was an inspiring sight. In that crowd was one man who saw in this great entrance the opportunity to make it happen; to make his master the rightful King of Israel; but how? He had hopes that the Master was about to announce his earthly kingdom and begin his reign. Judas had been with the Master for almost three years. Loyal and trusted, he was the treasurer of the small band. He had ambition to be more, to be the right hand man of a king, but Jesus had made no sign that he had any intention of establishing a kingdom. He simply talked about doing His Father’s will, whatever that was.

He would just have to see about that, Judas thought. Just look at these people shouting Jesus praises. They already saw him as King. It was just a matter of creating a ground swell that would force Him to declare himself. Judas had friends in high places. He knew that the High Priest wanted the bothersome teacher out of the way. If they were to arrest the Master it would surely cause the people to rise up and force the establishment of a King Jesus Reign.

He went to the Sanhedrin and proposed a trap; he would sell the Master for 30 pieces of silver. The high priest was happy to make a deal. Here was their opportunity to take the man a prisoner without a big ruckus. It would be at night, and it would all be over before the crowds were aroused. Judas was happy; after all, he was doing it for the master’s own good. He would have time to stir up the people and not only save Jesus but make Him King. Jesus would certainly be proud of him.

Really, this is a part of next week’s story but it is well for us to think about it on Palm Sunday. It is a time when we should examine our own lives and our own motives. I have come to believe there is a little bit of Judas in all of us. We act without prayer, we fail to listen to the Lord, we ignore His word and wonder why our best-laid plans fail. Judas did not live to see that it is not Jesus’ death that made Him King but His resurrection.