The story that opens this chapter, the Triumphal Entry, marks the peak of Jesus’ popularity. The city of Jerusalem, the capital of God’s chosen people, turn on in mass to welcome Jesus like the King He is. You can imagine the excitement His disciples felt as they road in like a king’ entourage.
And yet, five days later, these same people who hailed Jesus as a King would be howling ‘Crucify Him! Crucify Him!’
What happened during this week? What caused them to change their minds? I believe that the crowd turned against Jesus because, over the course of that week, they realized that He didn’t come to change their circumstances. He came to change them.
When they hailed Jesus as a King that Sunday, they thought they were greeting a conqueror- someone who would end their oppression from the Romans and put their ‘where they deserved’ - in charge. Instead, Jesus came to save them from their sin, to convict them of their failings and to send them out to SAVE the very people they hated.
They realized He didn’t come to change the world to save them. He came to change them to save the world. And they killed Him for it.