“Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” – Matthew 21:9
Today is Palm Sunday, a day to celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem amidst singing and dancing. The entry was to prepare Jesus for His suffering and death. It marks the beginning of the Holy Week, the most significant Week of the Christian Calendar.
Everything that Jesus said and did while on earth was leading up to this week, to the moment of the cross, the climax of God’s great plan for humanity. The best way to spend this week is to walk with Jesus through His Passion and Death.
In the garden, He told His closest friends: “Remain here and keep watch with me.” He wanted them to spend those last precious hours with Him . And now, He is asking you to do the same. He is inviting you, another close friend, to stay with Him so that you can observe and receive all the grace that is flowing this week.
Try to imagine yourself in Jerusalem about two thousand years ago. Watch and celebrate as Jesus enters. Watch as He is anointed at Bethany and shares a final meal with His friends. Watch as the son of man, your Saviour, is betrayed, seized and brought to trial. See Him falsely accused, beaten, crowned with thorns, and led up a hill to be crucified. Keep watch as the veil in the Temple tears, the rocks split, the graves open, and the dead rise. Take it all in, and let it change your heart.
As this special week unfolds, take time to thank and praise Jesus for the Cross. Offer your life to Him in deep gratitude. Take time every day to solidify your faith in what He has done for you. He has overcome the devil, sin and even death itself. He has completely forgiven you. All week long, try to respond to the stirring of the Holy Spirit by repeating with Jesus: “Not as I will, but as you will.”
Thank you Jesus for enduring the Cross. Stay safe and alert. It is well.
