Have you ever experienced a case of mistaken identity? Maybe someone mistook you for someone else, or maybe the other way around. Mistaken identity almost always leads to disappointment. Today is the Sunday before Easter that Christians call Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday was a celebration, but really it is all about mistaken identity. Crowds of people gathered outside of Jerusalem waiting for the arrival of Jesus, ready to shout “Hosanna!” But most of them were missing who He really was. Some cases of mistaken identity don’t really matter much, but for the crowds lining the streets on that first Palm Sunday, mistaking the identity of Jesus could cost them everything. In fact it would be many from this same crowd calling for and celebrating the crucifixion of Jesus just one week later. The book of Matthew records the events leading up to Palm Sunday to help us not make the same mistake with Jesus’ identity. So let’s take a look together.
