At WMB this morning (service, notes), we studied Romans and celebrated Palm Sunday.
Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. Jesus comes into Jerusalem and the showdown with the religious leaders comes to a head. Its an intense, busy week between the bookends of Palm Sunday (lets celebrate a new promised king!) and an unexpected resurrection (whaaat, this is crazy!!). In between, there’s lots of heated arguing, name calling, crying over Jerusalem, violence, torture, mob mentality and even a false ending: a crucifixion.
Palm Sunday services try to bring in a little of the celebration of the people so many years ago (though I’ve never seen people putting their coats down outside for a donkey to walk on). It is very cool: the people were remembering God’s promises and seeing the fulfillment right in front of their eyes. I mean, what are the chances that I see God’s centuries-old promises come true in front of me, here and now. But, its also very sad: no one understood the kind of king Jesus was, and it took less than a week for another crowd to yell “crucify him”. You just can’t make this stuff up. From “he’s our king” to “crucify him” in 5 days. Luke’s account captures this sadness when Jesus weeps over Jerusalem:
“How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.
And sure enough, Jerusalem was destroyed a generation later.
These stories make me humble. I wonder how God is showing up today; its probably not how I’m expecting. Paul in Romans 2 (from this morning) said similar to the Jews in Rome: “you are missing the point”. Matthew records similar arguments between Jesus and the religious dudes during holy week (try Matthew 21 through 23): “you aren’t getting it”. We sang See a Victory this morning, which has the line “I know how this story ends, I’m gonna see a victory, for the battle belongs to you Lord”. That’s true, and we have enough stories of how we humans don’t recognize victory when it happens. When victory looks like a crucifixion then my mind needs a little more reminding and opening.
I find the Gospel of the Kingdom video (5min) helpful in reminding me that the Kingdom does and doesn’t look like. Check it out.
Do you sense an undercurrent of “what are you going to choose” in all of this?
I have a different, simpler choice to help you meditate during holy week dive into an 8-day (Sunday to Sunday) devotional — probably 15 minutes a day.
- WMB has a one available on their web site, in both English and Spanish.
- YouVersion / Bible Project have one. Its best on the YouVersion app (the videos are available).
And a reminder that the 180 Challenge (180 day reading plan) is still going strong. We are just past the half-way mark and the prophets are telling the exiled, left-over Jewish remnant that all is not lost – God will rescue his people. And the complete challenge is now available right here.
Blessings to you in holy week. I hope you get a sense of the intensity in Jerusalem 2000 years ago at Passover.
The Thursday After 