Palm Sunday

It’s Palm Sunday. Perhaps you enjoyed seeing the little ones make Palm Branches out of construction paper and hearing them say, “Hosanna” everywhere they went. I used to love that as a little kid!

So, we kick of Holy Week celebrating great Messianic expectations, only to have them dashed on the sober drama that unfolds Maundy Thursday, continuing into Good Friday. The irony is rich. That first Palm Sunday must have been a great day of hope for the disciples, a day that faded into bitter disillusionment by Friday.

Yet with the advantage of 2000 years of reflection, we Christians do celebrate Palm Sunday with great messianic expectations, not as the disciples, who expected a conquering King to free them from Rome, but as their children in the faith, who see clearly now that the first advent of the King meant suffering, and atonement for sins. The climax comes on Sunday, when bitter disappointment turns into glorious rejoicing. Death is conquered by the One whom the grave could not hold.

Now, for me, this Palm Sunday fills me again with messianic expectations-not for a suffering servant, but for a King with a Sword. I cannot help but think about our time in Jerusalem last summer. We stood on the Mount of Olives and gazed at the eastern side of the Old City. Jesus stood there a long time ago cried out for his beloved city, just a short time before he entered on the foal of a donkey. Though his view was different from ours, (He saw the Second Temple in all its glory, we saw the Dome of the Rock) it was profound to me to think about him coming back even as I stood there, this time as the conquering King the disciples were looking for. May this Holy week bring you much joy as you reflect on the Awesome provision made by the Father, who sent His Son to be the Savior of the World, and this great Savior, who did not leave us alone, but sent the Counselor to be with us, even in us!