Jesus entry into Jerusalem is not merely the fulfilment of the prophecies of Zephaniah and Zechariah – nor is this procession purely symbolic, an Adventus if you like. The entry into Jerusalem is the commencement of the last phase of God’s campaign to save his people. This next week, is a time of liminality; that builds in its intensity as the week progresses, and we await with expectation the resurrection.

You might find it odd that I am not using historic tense here – but the fact is, while we commemorate the historic events of Christ’s life and teaching, we are also living them, we are true witnesses of the resurrection; a moment that shapes our way of seeing the world in which we live, and the relationships we enjoy.

Today is just the beginning of the feast, the moment we cross the threshold and take our first steps towards hope and life. Today we commemorate the King of Glory riding on a humble beast, preparing for the battle ahead, when he shall use you, and me “as a warrior’s sword” (Zech. 9.13) to defeat the darkness that oppresses us (Zeph. 3.19). Today we celebrate that the judgement against us has been lifted (Zeph. 3.15), and “none may recount [our] disgrace” (Zeph. 3.18). Today we are “renewed” in his love, as he dances jubilantly with us (Zeph. 3.17). Today is the beginning of our victory with Christ.

During this time of liminality we can see how the disciples’ perception of Christ is not yet fully formed, and would not be until they emerged, crossing the other threshold whole and enlightened. During this time of liminality things appear to be suspended – perception, understanding, even our own sense of self, as we observe the events unfolding, knowing that the narrative tension is building, but to what, and to what end we cannot immediately see. Unlike the first disciples, we have the benefit of knowing the outcome, yet we still, through our liturgies, and through our chosen Lenten disciplines, share in their experience, bear witness to what they bore witness to, and are thus able, if only for a brief moment, to capture their sense of wonderment at the events unfolding before them.

The first disciples did not yet fully understand – indeed they would not, until after they too had witnessed the resurrection, as the Evangelist writes of the entry into Jerusalem (Jn. 12.16): “His disciples did not understand this at first, but when Jesus had been glorified they remembered that these things were written about him and that they had done this for him.” While we enjoy the benefit of historical knowledge of these events, the fact remains that our understanding and perception of Christ is constantly being formed – we have not (as some would argue) understood the whole of revelation. While we are confident in our salvation, we inhabit a liminal space throughout our life as we seek to uncover, and to understand more deeply who God is, and our relationship to him. Thus, for us, sacramental disciples of the Master, every week, every day begins with us stepping over the threshold on one side of a moment, and emerging reborn, and renewed in his love, on the other.