by Restituto C. Basa (From the Saltbeds)

FOR this year, 2006, April 9 has double significance to us Filipinos.

As we are Christians, we mark the day as Palm Sunday, the day Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem and he was hailed by pilgrims as the son of King David. The pilgrims gathered palms which theys spread along his way to the temple of Jerusalem.

It was also on this day, in 1942, when Bataan fell to the Japanese invaders.

As per our religious faith, it is a day of triumph. We mark it as the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

In the history of our nation, it is a day of defeat. Our valiant soldiers, who took the stand in Bataan, surrendered to the superior forces of the Japanese invaders.

Bible commentators consider Palm Sunday as a day of triumph. This was because Jesus was hailed by the throng that met him in the holy city that day as the incoming king of the Jews.

But if we take a closer look at the Biblical record, he was conceived with hostility and antagonism by the powers that be in Jerusalem.

It was the pilgrims, the Jews of the diaspora, who welcomed him to the city. He was received with hostility by the people of Jerusalem, particularly by the religious leaders of the city.

The Gospel of Matthew 21:17 said: “Jesus left them (the people in Jerusalem) and went out of the city to Bethany where he spent the night.”

On Palm Sunday, Jesus felt his life was in danger in the Holy City. He had to sleep in the suburban town of Bethany for his security.

By the night of Maundy Thursday, Jesus was arrested on orders of the top religious leaders of the land; by Holy Friday, he was nailed to the cross.

That was the view from the ground, from the viewpoint of secular history.

But viewed from heaven, from the perspective of El Shaddai. it was God who was acting in human history.

Man has sinned, and he was bound to be punished. He can do nothing to save himself. He was to be cleansed of his sin. And nothing can cleanse him of his sin except blood.

“For without the shedding of blood, there is no remission  of sin.” (Hebrew 9:22 KJV).

“For God lovd the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 TEV).

Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. (John 1:29)