I was so excited.
I had stayed up all night, camped out on the street, and it was just moments before the beginning of…
The Tournament of Roses Parade!
This is a beautiful parade that happens every year on January 1st. And it's quite a spectacle to watch on TV. But, let me tell you, being there in person is another thing entirely!
It's hard to explain the excitement of the people, the sounds and smells, the beauty of the floats with their myriad rainbows of colorful seeds and flowers. I stayed out with a group from church just once in college. But I'm so glad that I did. It was memorable…
I was reminded of that beautiful morning because today is Palm Sunday. The day of Jesus' triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem.
Picture yourself there – surrounded by people from all walks of life. It was the beginning of Holy Week, and the roads into Jerusalem were thronging with pilgrims. Can you hear the many voices of the crowd – murmuring or laughing, talking excitedly among themselves? Are you jostled along with the animals, stopping here and there for a bite to eat? Can you see and smell the surrounding countryside?
Can you imagine the anticipation in the crowd when they heard that Jesus – whom many believed was the long-awaited Messiah, the Promised One who would deliver their nation – was arriving in the Holy City?
"Where is He?"
"He’s just up ahead."
"Is He coming this way?"
"YES!"
People scrambled for position (just like we did on that parade route) – trying to get the best vantage point to see – to see HIM!
He enters on a donkey – and people push and shove to throw their cloaks on the road ahead of Him. Palm branches are waved and strewn about in honor of the approaching King. Jesus was the center of the procession, and the people all around Him were shouting:
"Praise God for the Son of David!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!
Praise God in highest heaven!"
It's one thing to read about it in the Bible – being there in person must have been another thing entirely!
And then – less than one week later – Jesus was hanging on a criminal’s cross.
Anticipation – then incredible, dashing hopelessness…
The anguished cry echoed in every heart – WHY?
Today's "Bible Pick ‘Ems" sheds light – because it tells us what the Light of the World did on that day:
"You lived in this world without God, and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall that separated us…Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross…Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us." (Ephesians 2:12-14, 16, 18)
The Prince of Peace arrived that day – not the conquering king, but the Suffering Servant.
The One who brought hope to all the peoples of the earth.
The One who still does…
"Look, your king is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious,
Yet he is humble, riding on a donkey…
His realm will stretch from sea to sea and…to the ends of the earth."
(Zechariah 9:9-10)
Bless the One who comes in the name of the LORD!!
(Please join me at Spiritual Sundays with Charlotte and Ginger - and Super Sunday with Peggy. Also, please feel free to visit me during the week on my other blog, Sharon Sharing God!)
"When in doubt, search God out!"
you've painted this real Sharon. People pushing to get a look at Jesus...and then to see Him crucified. It reminds me that what looks like the end is never the end with God. Thanks for posting this....hope your weekend is going great. ☺
ReplyDeleteOhhh HOSANNA in the HIGHEST!!! I can just see Him coming... I have my PALMS lifted up in exaltation!
ReplyDeleteHallelujah Sharon! What an absolutely vivid depiction of this event! I so love how you make the correlation and with well chosen words, you
bring us into both parades; the sights, the crowd, the smells, the enthusiasm, the great anticipation dashed as you wrote within a week's time... how fleeting the JOY passed and yet the memory is written and grafted in the nails of the cross and an empty tomb!
Beautifully written! Wonderfully portrayed!
"Our suffering servant"... the King of kings and Prince of Peace... what a radical difference in these names and titles!
So thankful for His Triumphal Entry into the Kingdom of heaven and the Victory He alone won or could pay our ransom... Glory, Hallelujah!
Now this makes Ephesians 2 GREAT NEWS! Thankful for our Reconciliation but the ONE..."who still does..." turn hopelessness into HOPE FILLED promises completed in Him. Grateful for your light on this "LIGHT" today for a SUPER SON day!
Hosanna! Blessed is HE WHO COMES!!!
Our pastor spoke of this event this morning (and quoted the verse from Zechariah). It's hard to imagine how, a week later, those same people who waved palm branches at Him, turned away. As our pastor pointed out, there were two kinds of followers - those who stayed with Jesus through it all and those who followed Him just for what He could do for them.
ReplyDeleteSadly, many people still do that today.
Blessings,
Joan
I loved reading this post Sharon. It is sad so many people that day was only wanting delivery from Rome when Jesus came to deliver them from a much bigger bondage.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Ken
Beautiful ~ I think you will like my Hosanna song for Palm Sunday. Have a blessed Holy week.
ReplyDeleteYour telling of the story is just beautiful and created quite a mind picture of the scene for me. I've always thought I would have loved to be there for the "parade."
ReplyDeleteBlessings on your week,
Pamela
Beautiful rendition of our prescious Lord and all that He did for us on the cross. I'm so thankful that one day we will be able to say "thank you" to Him face to face. Oh, how I love Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit. You can't have one without the other.
ReplyDeleteAmen, I can also envision being there that glorious day when Jesus came on tha donkey; it must have been quite the place to be . Praise God that the same Jesus is alive in our hearts today!
ReplyDeleteSarah - The end is never the end with God! And through His Son, He conquered sin, death, and the enemy on a cross. THE END!
ReplyDeletePeggy - I join with you in celebrating every word you expressed! Blessed is He who came for us! And who is coming back again! Can you imagine the triumphal entry He will make when He appears in the clouds?! That will be a sight to see!
Joan - Yes, sadly there are still those two types of people. With God's help, I will follow Him. I will wave my palm branches of worship, and lay down the cloak of my life before Him.
Ken - Yes, isn't it sad how people still think that slavery to sin is freedom? The only true freedom was bought on a cross, and sealed with the empty tomb...
Cathy - I will be over to read your Hosanna song as soon as I'm done responding here. Joining you in celebrating the Holy Week of the Lamb - which culminates tomorrow in His resurrection triumph!
Pamela - Yes, that parade must have been something. But, we have an invitation to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb - and that will be a celebration that will never end!
From the Heart - WELCOME! Thanks so much for stopping by - please feel free to visit again. I can't wait to thank Him face to face, too. He might have to lift my chin to look in His eyes - I think I might be flat on my face in awe!
Toyin - Yes, this parade was a great day. But, the triumphal entry of God into our hearts on the day we believed?? Oh, glorious moment indeed!
Thank you for joining me on Palm Sunday - please come back tomorrow as we celebrate together the awesome thunder of Resurrection morning!
GOD BLESS!