Monday, March 29, 2010
Palm Branches and a Donkey's Colt
9:53 AM | 
Posted by
Andrea
Easter. What do you think when you hear that? Some think of cute little bunnies, brightly coloured eggs, Easter egg hunts, chocolate, one or two extra days off work or school, etc. While I must admit that I do enjoy all of those aspects of this time (especially Easter egg hunts! I have consistently won the Campbell Sister Easter egg hunt for consecutive years and intend to continue the tradition), my picture of Easter is the cross.
Yesterday was Palm Sunday; the day that Jesus entered into Jerusalem many years ago. Jesus entered on a colt, four days before Passover. A crowd gathered realizing that this was the fulfillment of prophecy (that their king would come, seated on a donkey's colt, four days before Passover). "They took palm branches and went out to meet him shouting, 'Hosanna!' 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!' 'Blessed is the King of Israel!'" (John 12:13). The path of palm branches is today's red carpet. Anyone who walks on it is obviously of great importance - and everyone knows it. Jesus was exalted.
Now that sounds great and all, but what if it stopped there? Thank God it didn't.
The time between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday is often referred to as Passion Week. There is joy at one end and joy at the other. But what's in between? Pain. Suffering. Agony. Affliction. Torment. Anguish. Grief. Death. The very people who were ready to crown Jesus king just a few days earlier inflicted this upon Him; they crucified Him. Crucifixion was the most shameful and painful way to die in those days. The Romans had perfected it to an art so that the victims would die the slowest death and endure the most harsh pain, mentally and physically. The victims would die of suffocation, their lungs slowly filling with blood. Jesus Christ, my Saviour, died that death. FOR ME. It was God's idea from the first day that Jesus would die for all of humanity. But Jesus sustained all this and laid down his life, willingly. Jesus paid the price for us to cover our sin with His precious perfect life.
Three days later, on Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the grave! He conquered death to give us life.
The week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday is pivotal in what I believe. Without it, I have nothing. Every day, especially this week as I reflect on what Jesus has done, I hear Him calling out to me saying, "I did this for you." It's amazing to be confident in Jesus Christ, to know that when everything is crumbling around me I will be safe in His arms.
At this point, I am brought to tears and an overwhelming sense of humility. No matter how much I go on about this, I cannot fathom or grasp this truth. I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross (Here I Am To Worship). But I can, and I do, thank God through Jesus every day that He has done this so I can live my life holy and pleasing to Him by His grace. It's awesome.
The cross casts a shadow over all of time. It is central to my faith. The effects of it will never go away. It is an everlasting promise. Hallelujah, praise the Lord.
Yesterday was Palm Sunday; the day that Jesus entered into Jerusalem many years ago. Jesus entered on a colt, four days before Passover. A crowd gathered realizing that this was the fulfillment of prophecy (that their king would come, seated on a donkey's colt, four days before Passover). "They took palm branches and went out to meet him shouting, 'Hosanna!' 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!' 'Blessed is the King of Israel!'" (John 12:13). The path of palm branches is today's red carpet. Anyone who walks on it is obviously of great importance - and everyone knows it. Jesus was exalted.
Now that sounds great and all, but what if it stopped there? Thank God it didn't.
The time between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday is often referred to as Passion Week. There is joy at one end and joy at the other. But what's in between? Pain. Suffering. Agony. Affliction. Torment. Anguish. Grief. Death. The very people who were ready to crown Jesus king just a few days earlier inflicted this upon Him; they crucified Him. Crucifixion was the most shameful and painful way to die in those days. The Romans had perfected it to an art so that the victims would die the slowest death and endure the most harsh pain, mentally and physically. The victims would die of suffocation, their lungs slowly filling with blood. Jesus Christ, my Saviour, died that death. FOR ME. It was God's idea from the first day that Jesus would die for all of humanity. But Jesus sustained all this and laid down his life, willingly. Jesus paid the price for us to cover our sin with His precious perfect life.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities...
Isaiah 53:5a
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
Three days later, on Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the grave! He conquered death to give us life.
...the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.Meditate on that. By His wounds we are healed. Jesus Christ did what no one else could do. He gave us the gift of eternal life through Him. All we need to do is accept it.
Isaiah 53:5b
The week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday is pivotal in what I believe. Without it, I have nothing. Every day, especially this week as I reflect on what Jesus has done, I hear Him calling out to me saying, "I did this for you." It's amazing to be confident in Jesus Christ, to know that when everything is crumbling around me I will be safe in His arms.
At this point, I am brought to tears and an overwhelming sense of humility. No matter how much I go on about this, I cannot fathom or grasp this truth. I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross (Here I Am To Worship). But I can, and I do, thank God through Jesus every day that He has done this so I can live my life holy and pleasing to Him by His grace. It's awesome.
The cross casts a shadow over all of time. It is central to my faith. The effects of it will never go away. It is an everlasting promise. Hallelujah, praise the Lord.
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