In-Between the Praises and Rejection

So much of our lives are lived in the middle, somewhere between beginning and ending. There are countless places where we live “in-between”—between hope and heartbreak, between belief and doubt, between clarity and confusion. We celebrate one moment and struggle the next. We want to trust God and we still have questions. If you’ve ever felt caught in that tension, you’re not alone. Jesus understands the in-between, because He lived it. He experienced joy and sorrow, friendship and betrayal, confidence and anguish.

As we prepare for Easter, we’re going to hone in on this famous week of Jesus’ life—“Holy Week”—seven days that stretched from his arrival in Jerusalem to cheers and ended with his resurrection from the dead after crucifixion. Over the next four weeks, we are going to look closer at his life and experience of the “in-between” and let it shine light on our in-betweens.

Palm Sunday and The Praise

Let’s begin by taking a look at the event that kicked off this week in Jesus’ life in Luke 19; we often call this “Palm Sunday” because of the reception he received from the people of Jerusalem.

And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:28-40 ESV)

A little historical context might be helpful here: Jesus is intentionally playing on a host of images from Jewish history that would have been evident to almost everyone in this scene. First, riding in on a colt draws directly from a prophecy about how the Messiah (Chosen One) would arrive in Jerusalem:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9 ESV)

He is declaring himself to be the Messianic King, heir of David; but the colt imagery is really important—a conquering king would have come on a war horse, ready for battle. Riding a donkey’s colt is an image of humility and peace. He has come to rule, but isn’t declaring war on anyone.

Jesus’ followers and most of the Jerusalem crowd are picking up on all this. They rise to celebrate him as the Messianic King—the palm branches, hosannas—that’s all traditional royal celebration; that’s how you welcome a king in their culture. They see in Jesus what they have been hoping for; he is the candidate with a reputation for power and change, and they throw their weight behind him. But don’t miss this—everyone has an agenda for Jesus. They have some things they want done and he’s their man.

Let me just pose this question: do you approach Jesus this way? Do you follow Him only for what you can get from him? It’s an important question to consider. We are so broken and often so selfish that if we aren’t careful we can see our relationships as transactional—even our relationship with God. By transactional I mean you are in the relationship only for what you can get from the other. The moment we don’t get what we want in a friendship, at a job, in a marriage, or even with Jesus, we move on.

According to religious sociologists, the number one prevailing view of God in the US is something called Moralistic Therapeutic Deism which sees God more like Santa Claus. You may have accidentally bought into this idea because it prioritizes happiness and being nice or good in order to get to heaven. You may be slipping into this if you don’t go to God unless you need help or want him to bless something you’ve already done.

We are invited into something so much deeper! We are invited into a relationship with God through Jesus where His Spirit lives within us, guides us, convicts us, and helps us become more like Jesus—loving God and loving others. A relationship where we experience his presence, peace, joy, love, and kindness and bring that glimpse of heaven to others. Look at how Jesus lived this out. Remember this tiny line at the beginning in verse 28: “he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.” This builds on a theme that you see over and over in the gospels: Jesus knew what he was doing and what awaited him in Jerusalem. He knew his purpose; nothing about what was coming was about to make him a victim. But Palm Sunday seems a long way from the cross; today he has the praise of the crowd and that’s got to feel good, right?

Whose approval would you love to have? Whose cheering would mean the most to you? A boss, colleagues; a parent, a child; recognition, admiration, applause of the crowd? Being celebrated by people isn’t a bad thing. Jesus himself didn’t turn it down—in fact, he responded to his critics, “I’m not going to stop them, the rocks would cry out.” But what power does praise have in our hearts? What are we willing to sacrifice to have it? What need is it meeting in our souls? Jesus’ approach to this moment reveals that the praise of people can never substitute for the pursuit of God’s purpose.

Praise Cannot Tell You Who You Are

Let’s zoom in on Jesus while this celebration is happening:

And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44 ESV)

They are cheering for him, but Jesus is weeping over them. He knows this is not going to go the way they want it to. Despite their cheering for him, he knows that they will ultimately reject him and God’s purposes for them, leading to the destruction of Jerusalem. Sadness grips his heart because there are things “hidden from their eyes”—they are blind to the path of peace. Interestingly, they are shouting “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” but in their hearts they are looking for a warrior; their preconceived notions about the Messiah will prevent them from recognizing him.

The people were praising Jesus for what he could give them, which made them unable to see who he really was. Which leads us to another realization: The praise of people tells you more about what they want; it cannot tell you who you are.

Case Studies: Fame Isn’t The Answer

Perhaps this simple truth has never been clearer than it is right now. With the advent of the internet, social media, and viral content, it’s never been easier in human history to become instantly famous. So many people are hustling, chasing the dream, trying to amass followers, likes, and subscribers. But the stress fractures are showing—no matter how much fame or money you have, it cannot tell you who you are.

I dare you to look closer at the stories of celebrities like Jim Carrey, who said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” Lady Gaga has spoken about the trauma of being a “perpetual performer.” Selena Gomez deleted all social media apps for four years to “get her life back” after being addicted to the opinions of others.

Social media influencers like Emma Chamberlain shared about the deep loneliness that comes from being watched by millions while feeling disconnected from herself. Elle Mills realized she was living for the “edit” rather than for herself, leading to a total loss of her own identity. Or Bill Maeda, a fitness influencer who admitted he became “addicted to the feeling of validation” and felt he was “crumbling” inside if his engagement fell. No fame, no praise, no recognition can compensate for not knowing who you really are.

Being Understood Comes Later

Jesus was crystal clear about these things. Check out this flashback:

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man. (John 2:23-25 ESV)

At another Passover Feast years prior, Jesus did not entrust himself to the crowd because he knew what was in man. Jesus is clear-eyed about the weaknesses of people, how misguided they are, and how easily their desires twist their intentions.

Jesus knows who he is; his identity flows from his relationship to the Father. That sense of purpose is the bedrock he lives from, even when it takes him down unexpected and hard roads. Consider this:

And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. (Luke 18:31-34 ESV)

Jesus has been trying to tell his followers what is coming, but they cannot hear it. This vision of a suffering Messiah doesn’t fit their expectation. Remember, at the outset of this Holy Week, Jesus knows precisely what he is walking into.

Which leads us to another challenging truth of the in-between: Living out God’s calling on your life often won’t be understood by others until later. In a world ruled by praise, purpose is usually the narrow road. It forces us to look inward—whose validation is enough for me? Does it have to be at least understood or appreciated by someone? Why? Sometimes it feels like if no one else knows, it’s meaningless. But is it enough that you and God know? Would his opinion be enough to build a life on? The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 1:10: “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Throughout the Scriptures, the antidote to the fear of man is the fear of God. This means an awe or reverence for God. In his book The Awe of God, John Bevere points out that the fear of God is not being scared of God, but being afraid of being away from God. The Bible says that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and leads to intimacy and friendship with God because when we fear Him more than we fear people, we obey Him even when it doesn’t make sense and even when it may cost us in the eyes of the world.

Case Study: Bakht Singh

There have been normal people who have lived out their purpose, trusting God even when no one else understood. Bakht Singh was born into a wealthy, high-status Sikh family in India. He once tore up a Bible to show his disdain for Christianity. But in the 1930s, after a radical conversion, his “calling” looked like a disaster to everyone around him. His father disowned him. His wife and son left him. He went from luxury to being a homeless preacher on the streets of Mumbai.

But it wasn’t just his family who rejected him; it was also the religious establishment. He began doing things that made missionary boards uncomfortable. He got rid of pews to make the church indigenous to India. He broke the caste system by having all social classes eat together. He refused foreign money. For years, he was an outsider. But his calling was validated by its fruit. Bakht Singh planted over 10,000 indigenous churches across India and Pakistan. When he passed away in the year 2000, an estimated 600,000 people attended his funeral. They finally saw what he had seen all along.

Suffering on The Path of Purpose

We don’t always see the significance of what’s really happening in the in-between. In between the praises of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem and his resurrection on Easter, Jesus experienced the in-between of rejection:

But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will. (Luke 23:18-25 ESV)

The same crowds cheering for him have now been transformed into judge, jury, and executioner. Everyone knows this is wrong—even Pilate knows he is sentencing an innocent man. The crowds that had cheered with palm branches were now shouting “Crucify.” But Jesus was steadfast—his identity and his purpose were clear.

Popularity today doesn’t guarantee loyalty tomorrow. Even when you are doing what is good and right, if Jesus himself didn’t get immunity, it’s difficult to think that we would. This reveals another critical lesson: Suffering is often the path of purpose. There was no easy mode for Jesus.

If we would live for more than the praises of others and seek out the purpose of God, we shouldn’t expect it will be easy. The allure of the crowd’s applause will never completely go away. The pain of misunderstanding and rejection is a deep wound. But if you’re following Jesus, you’re in good company. He understands. Moreover, you will be living out the reason for your existence—a deep, abiding partnership with God, letting his kingdom pass into and through your life to others.

Prayer for 3 Specific Groups

Where are you “in-between” today? God sees and knows right where you are.

1. Those substituting praise for purpose: You realize you’ve been living for the applause of others. You can turn from that today and ask for God’s help to reorient around his purpose.

2. Those wounded by rejection: Perhaps family or friends have not understood why you’re following Jesus. Just like Jesus did, you can choose to forgive.

3. Those whose strength is waning: You are trying to walk the path of purpose, but you need endurance. Fix your eyes on Jesus, who endured the cross and didn’t stop.

He is with you every step of the way.