The Sixth Sunday of Lent, 2025, Palm Sunday

April 13, 2025 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem the week before Passover and His death on the cross is a wild an joyous event. I have walked the Palm Sunday Road and it is a very steep hill leading down from the Mt. of Olives that leads to the eastern gate. As I walked that road, I could see this scene in my mind that is included in all four gospels.

Matthew 21:1-11 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, ²saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” ⁴This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

⁵“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

⁶The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. ⁷They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. ⁸Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” ¹⁰And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” ¹¹And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Blessings today as we usher in the final week of Jesus’ life on earth with Palms, Shouts of Hosanna and Praises to Messiah, the Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can rejoice today at who Jesus was and is and is to come!

Linda

Jesus entered into the city through the eastern gate that is now closed. In later times the gate was blocked to keep Messiah from entering, not realizing that Jesus had already come that Palm Sunday so long ago.

Suggestion: As you praise God today in worship, choose an attribute of God that you are most thankful for and let God know what it means to you. Consider- Savior, His Grace and Mercy, Sovereignty, Faithfulness, His Hope, His Assurance of Salvation in Jesus, His granting Freedom from Sin, His Provision or His great and precious promises to you. Praise His Holy Name!

Palm Sunday, Let Holy Week Begin!

April 10, 2022April 10, 2022 nofearlindaLeave a comment

All 4 of the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and work record his entry into Jerusalem on the Sunday before their Jewish Passover. Matthew, Mark and Luke tell the story of how Jesus obtained the donkey upon which He entered as it was prophesied that Messiah, king, would come riding a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 was written hundreds of years before the event “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! Your king comes to you gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the fold of a donkey.” John was the only writer to mention the palm branches that were waved by the crowds as Jesus humbly rode into the city. “So the took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” John 12:13 The waving of the palm branches signifies a celebration of victory, and was a reminder of Jesus’ royalty. The only other place that palm branches are waved is in Revelation 7 where John records the following scene in heaven. ^9″After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

As you worship Jesus today, cry out in praise to Him for who He is- our mighty King and Savior. He is and always will be the victor now and forever! Raise your palm fronds high in praise to your savior and proclaim Him the one who came to save you and me. He was indeed the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world!

Linda

Final Sunday of Lent 2020, amidst the Palms

April 5, 2020 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, the day of Jesus’ return to Jerusalem. His reception was loud and colorful with waving palms, cloaks on the ground, shouting, chanting of praises and Jesus riding on a humble donkey. It was the conclusion of three years of public ministry that ended in His death on the cross on Friday. However, all was not lost as He miraculously rose from the dead and appeared on Easter morning just as He said He would. His ‘life’s ride’ on earth was a wild one filled with compassion, love, obedience and sacrifice for us. As we enter this Holy Week let us ponder anew how we personally have felt His compassion and love in our lives. How we have benefited from His obedience to the cross and the sacrifice of His life for ours. We have much to be thankful for, even in the hardest of times. Only you can answer today’s sentence, Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I am or can_____________________.

Some time today read one or more of the Palm Sunday Triumphal entry passages: Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-38, John 12:12-15.

Here is the summary from this weeks passages in Ephesians. We meditated on Ephesians 5:21-6:14. Think about: **Which truth have you seen in your life this week? **Which is the most meaningful to you in your life right now?

we can live lives submitted to one another in love that mirror Christ’s love for us. Ephesians 5:21-33
we (both parent and child) are able to submit to one another with love and respect. Ephesians 6:1-4
we can show God’s love and care whether we are the employer or employee bringing glory to God and blessings upon ourselves. Ephesians 6:5-9
we are able to battle against unseen forces through the power of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 6:10-12
I can be filled with His Holy Spirit and protected by His armor to face the challenges of each day. Ephesians 6:13
I can have godly character that is based on His truth and righteousness. Ephesians 6:14

Personally, the truth from Ephesians 6:10-11 reminded me of the unseen forces of evil that we face each day. This truth really resonated with me, especially during this Covid-19 Pandemic. It is something I never envisioned and pray fervently that God will cause the virus to be contained and that the evil effects would be lessened. We need to humble ourselves and pray for His mercy. The most meaningful truth this week that brings me real encouragement is from Ephesians 6:14, that I can have godly character if I am rooted and grounded in the truth of Christ and put on His righteousness. It is an eternal hope filled with promise. In Christ, I can be a new creation.

Have a Blessed Palm Sunday.