And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the
mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and
praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of
the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees
from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I
tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately
cry out.
(Luke 19:37-40 KJV)
As we get
closer to Holy Week (beginning this coming Sunday [March 29] and ending on
Easter Sunday [April 5]) and Easter Day let us turn our thoughts towards the
final week of Jesus’ ministry on earth—beginning with His entry into Jerusalem
on what Christians call Palm Sunday.
What do you
suppose it would have been like to have been in the crowd exclaiming
“Hosanna! …Hosanna in the highest!”
waving a palm branch, celebrating Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem?
Where would
you have been?
What would
you have been doing?
From http://worshiphousemedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/main/s/mo/mow/mo/silvercrosspalmsundaybranches.jpg |
The
excitement of the crowd must have been electric. People cheering for Jesus,
their King, fulfilling prophecy declared hundreds of years before (they likely
did not realize the meaning of their actions). Children running about,
laughing, enjoying life—some would have memories of Jesus interacting with
them, loving on them.
Here’s a
hymn that reflects on this day, Hosanna,
Loud Hosanna! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FPydZdCL4c
However,
not all were happy with this celebratory time. The loudest voices crying out
against this were many of the religious elite—scribes and Pharisees. Due to how
Jesus presented Himself and the things He did caused them to reject Him out of
hand and seek a way, anyway to kill Him. Jesus did not do what they expected
Him to do—to bring to an end the rule of the Romans.
During the
week to come Jesus (and His disciples) would face unbelievable pain and
suffering—physical, emotional, spiritual—culminating in Jesus’ death on a cross
and His resurrection three days later. The week that started out so cheerfully
and vibrantly on Sunday, ends in deep darkness, horror, and solemnity on
Friday. The most exciting news is yet to come!
Palm Sunday
was the high point of Jesus’ ministry (the one time He was popular), while celebrating
the significance of this day in Jesus’ ministry, may we reflectively prepare
our hearts for Good Friday and Easter. This day also fulfilled a prophecy from
Zechariah 9:9 click here for Scripture.
Please join
with me in prayer:
Dear Jesus,
with the crowd that welcomed You into Jerusalem, we lift our voices to praise You. We remember the joy of this day, while
remembering the pain and horror yet to come—followed by Your victory over death,
sin, and the grave that is coming. In Your name, we pray. Amen
From My
Heart to Yours,
Kim
Beautiful summary of Holy Week, Kim. What starts with rapturous celebration dives into the depths of despair, yet rises in glory once again. It reminds us that no matter what state we may be in, God will see us through, always and ever.
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings!
Thank you Martha for your affirmation and for stopping by. I'm so thankful that we have Jesus!
DeleteLove and blessings!