These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.
– John 12:16
One of the honors I have had living in our small community was being Grand Marshal in our annual Christmas parade. Not only was it a fun experience, it also provided me with an unexpected and humorous memory. We were the lead vehicle in the parade, with the high school band immediately behind us. We made our way along the three blocks of the parade route at what seemed to be a good, slow pace. When we neared the end of the route, the driver looked behind us and said, “Where did the band go?” In that moment we realized that somehow we had pulled far away from the rest of the parade. By then there was nothing we could do. Backing up would have looked really odd. Consequently, the driver found a place to park and we walked back in time to watch the parade we were once leading.
You might wonder how we lost track of the central attractions of the parade. I’m not sure how, but we managed. Obviously some “hindsight” would have been helpful along the way. In contrast, no one needed hindsight in order to keep track of Jesus in the Jerusalem day parade that spontaneously took place. Crowds had come to Jerusalem for the Passover feast, and many were aware of Jesus’ recent miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. When the people heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, they gathered around him as he descended from the mountain ridge east of Jerusalem. Their exuberance grew as they went. Palm branches were waved, and messianic shouts of “hosanna” filled the air. The man on the donkey had all eyes fixed on him. He was the reason for the parade.
To our surprise, the disciples of Jesus may have felt uneasy about the attention. We would naturally think that they would enjoy having their rabbi receive such accolades from the crowd. After all, any attention he gets spills over to them also. But let us remember, Jesus had only recently escaped being stoned by the Pharisees in Jerusalem (John 10:31). For that reason the disciples were hesitant even to come to Bethany when they heard about Lazarus being ill (John 11:8). Now they find themselves marching right into Jerusalem, and not quietly. If the disciples had any hopes of avoiding attention from the Jewish leaders, those hopes were evaporating with every step down the mountainside. The crowd was in full-blown celebration mode. Peter, James and company, while sharing the excitement, must have felt apprehension as well.
Further, how were they supposed to interpret the crowd’s reaction to Jesus? How does this spirited gathering fit into the complete picture of Jesus that has been slowly coming into focus for them? Peter had confessed him as the Christ of God, a confession Jesus affirmed. At the same time, Jesus had been telling them he would be arrested, abused and killed by his own people. They’ve witnessed plenty of miracles, and yet they have consistently seen the hardness of hearts toward Jesus. Half of what they see doesn’t resonate with the other half of what they see. As they near the city, surrounded by a boisterous entourage, the one thing that seems clear is that something is about to happen.
The writer of John’s gospel narrative, in describing this scene we traditionally call the “Triumphal Entry,” includes an easily overlooked tidbit. In the midst of it all, the disciples didn’t understand. It doesn’t mean they were completely clueless, just that they could not comprehend how that particular day fit into God’s grand scheme. Only after the resurrection were they able to see the complete tapestry. Only then could they understand how the experiences they thought were contradictory really were complimentary movements in the symphony of God’s redeeming work. For the moment, though, they had to struggle through their incomplete understanding. Unfortunately for the disciples, the days would get worse before they would get better.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I wish that I could have sight before it actually becomes hindsight. Do you know what I mean? Wouldn’t it be nice to make decisions incorporating the information you won’t get until after the decision has been made? How much better might we function if we could know everything we need to know while there is still a chance to do something about it? At the very least, how nice would it be if we could fully understand our circumstances when we are actually in the midst of them? Sure, I know these things are not going to happen, but you must allow a man to dream. The saying “hindsight is 20/20” is simply a positive way of saying “foresight is not.”
Nevertheless, let us not forget that in that crowd of people descending toward Jerusalem there was one person who knew exactly what was happening—and why. He knew the prophecies. He knew the plan. He knew the purpose. He would need no hindsight in order to properly frame the unfolding events. His understanding was perfect.
It is the same today as it was then, and it is the same for your circumstances as it was for his own. The man named Jesus needs no hindsight. We might be anxious, but he doesn’t wring his hands with worry. We may not know what tomorrow brings, but he already holds our tomorrow. In our lack of understanding we find no other option than to walk by faith. But fear not; what is faith for us is already sight for Him. Learn to trust in the Lord while you await the day when God brings you the understanding of hindsight.
See you along the Winding Path.
(*** special note for new readers) If you have recently joined the small band of Winding Path readers, you might want to return to the first post of the In Their Steps series and walk through them in sequence. My approach when beginning the series was to view Jesus’ life and ministry through the eyes of those who were closest to him. As such there is a sequential element to the series. There’s no hurry; the posts aren’t going anywhere. And of course, I receive your participation in these writings as a gracious gift. May God use them to bless you according to His riches in glory.
The Winding Path 