Honor the One Worthy of Your Worship   

As this weekend’s Masters golf tournament drew near, there was much speculation about whether or not Tiger Woods would be playing. All the focus on this great golfer took me back to 2018 to another golf venue in Georgia where he won a tournament for the first time in several years. As he approached the final green on that occasion, there was mayhem as the crowds ignored the usual boundaries and thronged around him ready to celebrate his victory.  While there was some apprehension and discomfort about the zealous behavior of the group following him and for his safety, it turned out to be a memorable moment as they crowned their hero as king of the world of golf, at least for the moment.

We look much further back into history to celebrate another memorable moment this weekend. We’ve come to call it Palm Sunday. It’s that occasion when Jesus entered Jerusalem as He approached the final leg of His journey on this earth. A great crowd gathered around Him as well. In their zeal, they ignored many of the usual restraints. They didn’t hold back their enthusiasm or tone down the bold proclamation they shouted as their hero made His way into the city. They ignored the frowns of the religious authorities who thought this celebration was getting out of control and who didn’t appreciate the implications of the people’s claims about Jesus. This crowd was giving Him the homage due to a conquering king. They were attributing titles to Him which identified Him with the long-awaited Messiah. These people were praising this man in a way that bordered on worship.

Yet Jesus didn’t rebuke them for what they said or did on this occasion. He didn’t deny their claims or attempt to correct them. No, He affirmed that their actions and declarations were appropriate. When the religious leaders suggested He should discourage the crowd, Jesus responded, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40).

Granted, this group yelling “Hosanna” and laying out their palm branches on the road before Jesus didn’t really understand the nature of Jesus’ kingship or the manner in which He was about to win the victory. They were hoping for a political ruler and for deliverance from the oppression of the Romans. Nevertheless, their honoring Jesus as their king and treating Him like a conquering hero was still the proper response. He was on the verge of a great triumph. He was about to make His final shot. He would lay down His life on the cross in order to make a way for us to be reconciled with a holy God. While His last putt would seem to hang on the edge of the cup for three days, an empty tomb would reveal that it had dropped into the hole and had won the victory.      

I sometimes question how appropriate it may be for us to exalt certain athletes and other celebrities the way our culture tends to do. At times the admiration does seem to border on worship. However, it’s always appropriate to exalt Jesus and to worship Him as our conquering King. He is the one person who is worthy of such devotion and praise. What He has done for us far outweighs winning a golf tournament, yes, even the Masters.

So let’s allow this Palm Sunday celebration to be a reminder to us that we do have a King who is worthy of our worship. Honor Him. Proclaim His praises. Humbly bow before Him and submit to Him. Celebrate His victory through His death and resurrection. Your zeal may disturb some people, but it will please the One who matters most.