The Procession and the Protest" by Rev. Gilbert Martinez, Palm Sunday 2026

Palm Sunday then, it's not just about celebration. It is about the beginning of a holy disruption. It is a moment where Jesus steps fully into visibility, not to be affirmed by the systems around him, but to challenge them. And that brings us back to us. We cannot take pride in wavy palms if we are unwilling to get our hands dirty over turning tables. We cannot shout if we are not prepared to embrace that transformation that true liberation demands. We cannot celebrate the procession if we refuse to join the protest because Jesus does not enter with force or violence, but with truth, with courage, and with a kind of authority that does not wait to be validated. Therefore, the question is not whether Jesus is entering. The question is what it means for us when he does. [00:17:30] (63 seconds)  #PalmSundayDisruption

Jesus does not seek validation from the powers of his day nor from ours. His authority is not the authority of empire, but the authority of truth. He comes to unmask, to liberate, to call us out from the shadows we have learned to live in. Picture the processions of empire, Pilate riding in with banners, soldiers, the clank of armor, the threat of violence in every step, power on parade reminding the people who rules. Now look at Jesus. He comes not with armies but with peasants. Do y'all like this morning's peasants? Yes. It's you. [00:09:31] (51 seconds)  #AuthorityOfTruth

But if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that systems today, religious and societal, still operate in the same patterns. Christianity has too often been shaped up political power by nationalism, by the urge to control rather than to embody the liberating message of Jesus. Even in congregations with the best intentions, even here among us, We are not immune from participating in these patterns. There's a kind of exchange rate at work in religious spaces too, Deity. The belief that if we are not restrictive, we are not faithful. That if we do not draw our lines, we are somehow betraying the truth. That is not the gospel. That is fear masquerading as faith. [00:15:47] (56 seconds)  #FaithNotFear

We are summoned back to the cross not as decoration, but as a sign of hope and truth that Jesus brings. The cross is not safe. It is not comfortable. It is the place where illusions come to die. Because the story does not end with a procession, it moves directly into protest. Jesus enters the temple and begins overturning tables. This is not a random act of anger. It is a deliberate confrontation. The temple was not only a religious institution, it was an economic and political institution. It functioned with Rome's permission, and within it, systems have developed that exploited people while maintaining the appearance of faithfulness. [00:14:41] (57 seconds)  #CrossAsHope

On Sunday, we dress it up as a parade, a festival of wagging branches and smiling faces, a celebration that feels safe and familiar. But look again. Strip away the pageantry, and you will see this is not a parade. This is a confrontation in broad daylight. Jesus enters Jerusalem with a purpose that unsettles, with an intention that refuses to be ignored. Jesus does not knock politely at the door of power. He does not wait for that invitation. He claims what is needed for the work of God without apology. (46 seconds)  #NotAParade

There was no weapons, only branches, ordinary, fragile, the kind you might use to shield yourself from the sun. A contrast is just not striking, it's a rebuke. Yet, do not be fooled. This is a procession, still a declaration, but it is not the nomination on display. It is hope. The people cry. Desperate for deliverance. But I wonder, did they know what they were asking for? Did they see the kind of liberation Jesus was bringing, or did they only see what they wanted to see? Here's the truth we must face. We have become experts at tame Jesus. [00:10:36] (52 seconds)  #TameJesus

See, when I started, this congregation used to do the collection before communion. If you paid attention over the last few years, we do it after communion now. Now theologically, there's arguments for either one. But for me, from my theological perspective, is while I appreciate the first one of collecting before communion and understand it, personally, I don't want it to seem like I'm paying to receive communion. And that's why I flipped it to where we do communion and then we do the offering. Because it is a gift to receive communion. It is a gift to come to that table. [00:05:58] (61 seconds)  #CommunionNotForSale

The question races in the temple is still relevant for us. Are we a house, a prayer, or a den of robbers? And that question is not just about buildings. It's about who we are, how we live, and what we embody. Let me speak plainly. There are burdens I carry as a pastor, things I witness and experience that weigh heavily. There are moments when the distance between what we say, we believe, and how we live feels like an abyss. And I wonder if this is what we see in Jesus' fear, not a loss of control, but a fierce clarity and urgency that Jesus refused to look away from what is broken. [00:16:43] (47 seconds)  #FaithWithIntegrity