I love Palm Sunday. In fact, I just love Easter. I love the excitement and anticipation of the enitre season, starting with Ash Wednesday, up to Ressurection Sunday. I love all the silly things about it too- the egg decorating (yes we all still participate), egg hunts, the colors, the candy, the bunny, everything. It's so exciting! Along with the commercial aspects, I of course love the spiritutal rituals as well- the palm branches, singing Hosanna, Lent, Good Friday and re-reading/living the whole purpose/story of this holiday. So, you can imagine how estatic I was to wake up today! Just the thought of waving a palm branch made my little heart want to burst! And, my church did not disappoint.
Our worship team and choir performed our yearly Easter cantata complete with some great music, a moving duest, and "All hail the Power of Jesus Name" (SO EASTER!) But, the cherry on top was my palm branches. :) This month, I am on usher duty, so I had the honor of handing out the palm branches (I tried hard to make sure EVERYONE had one, didn't want them to miss out). And, the best part was, that being an usher, I got to stand at the back for the first half of the service. So, when those palm branches went up and started waving around, and the choir and the children's choir were singing, I got to witness the ENTIRE congregation joining in the celebration! It was beautiful! If I thought my heart was going to burst earlier, it was overflowing now! What a great way to kick off Holy week...with songs, and celebrations, and palm branches....kind of like the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem.
Can you picture it? Reflect with me for a minute.
It is the time of the Passover celebration in Jerusalem. All the Jews from all around are making their way into the city for this special time. Jesus has fairly recently performed one of His greatest miracles.. raising Lazarus from the dead! I imagine if people weren't abuzz about His miracles before this, they sure were now. These Jews are beginning to think that this Jesus is the Messiah that they have been waiting for, that He is going to save them. The road is thick with people, and excitement as Jesus begins the journey into Jerusalem. Some are even laying down their own coats to make a royal pathway for their coming King. Palm branches wave in anticipation and adoration, and cries of Hosanna "help us! save us!" are being shouted out to this man, their hope. The crowd is crazy as they watch their King FINALLY arrive after all these years!! And in the midst of all this commotion, right smack in the middle of it all, is Jesus.
The retellings in the gospels don't tell us much about what Jesus is doing during all of this, we know he was on a donkey, and that's about it. I imagine He was quiet, reflective, and humble. I have to wonder, what was He thinking during all of this? I mean after all, He was the reason for their celebrating. I wonder if he was saddened, not just at their utter blindness to His true purpose, but at their dire situations. As he rode through the crowd, I imagine he was pained for these beautiful, clueless people. Not only were they held in bondage to Rome, and to the law, but most importantly, to themselves. They had no idea that Jesus had really come not to save them from earthly oppression, but to save their souls. In Luke, we do get a small glimpse at his thoughts " 41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it." He then proceeds to confess his great sorrow that these people have missed the point, they have missed God right in front of them! I also have to wonder if his heart got heavier with each step closer to the city. Once He arrived, his journey would be one of sorrow, pain, and ultimately death.
I have to wonder today, as we celebrate Palm Sunday, how often does this season roll around and we too celebrate the wrong thing? How often is God right in front of us, and we miss Him? We know the rest of the story, but it doesn't make each part any less important. As we venture into Holy week, I pray that we would take the journey with Jesus once again. That we would put ourselves there, in those moments. I don't want this to be just another exciting season of egg decorating and waving palm branches. I want to set this week aside to be what it is meant to be...Holy. I want this week to be different, and to experience my Ressurection story all over again. I think God has some stuff He's laying on my heart to help me do that, and I hope that I'll be open enough to let Him do that through this blog and in my daily activities. Don't miss out on another opportunity to really celebrate this season. Keep those palm branches ready, for the real celebration is just around the corner. Love.
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