Palm Sunday

"Hosanna!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!
Hosanna in the highest!"
-Mark 11:9, 10

With this joyous proclamation of salvation, the citizens of Jerusalem mark the entry of Jesus into the city. Quoting Psalm 118:26, they shout out that Jesus "comes in the name of the Lord". Psalm 118 is a psalm written in honor of God's saving grace. It reminds us that the Love of God endures forever (v. 1), the God answers our prayers and sets us free (v. 5), and that the rejected stone will become the capstone (v. 22 and brought up by Jesus after his entry into Jerusalem - Mt 21:42; Mk 12:10,11; Lk 19:17).

The return of the Davidic line of kings is also praised. As I've brought up a few times, one of the major views n the Messiah is that He would be a Davidic king ushering in a new age for the people of Israel (see: Jewish Views On the Messiah). Jesus reinforces this idea by riding in on a donkey. In verse 22:5, Matthew reminds us that the prophet Zechariah says, "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey,'" (Zec 9:9). When David named Solomon king over Israel, he had his officials place the boy on a donkey and marched through the streets proclaiming the anointing of the royal son (1Ki 1:32-40; keep in mind that Jesus was anointed at some point during Holy Week and Solomon shortly after his royal procession). The act of laying down palms and cloaks also comes from royal parades. When Jehu was anointed as king, "They hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps," (2Ki 9:13).

All of this fanfare, though, often hides the grim ending of Holy Week. On Thursday, we will celebrate the Passover, Last Supper, and betrayal of Christ. We reenact the Passover and Lord's Supper ever time we partake in communion. We reenact the betrayal far more often, every time we reject the grace of God and sin against him. On Friday, we will remember the Lamb and his sacrifice in order that death may not come to us. Those who celebrate the coming of the King today will call for the death of a radical teacher on Friday. Even the palms with which we celebrate will be burned and on Ash Wednesday of next year, we will receive them as black crosses on our foreheads to remind us of our mortal nature and dependence on God for existence.

It is not until Sunday, Easter, in one week, when we will find the glory of the empty tomb and see the Son of Man and the Son of God as the Firstborn From Among the Dead. It took God one week to create the world and so in one week, we experience the glory of his final teachings, and death. He rests on the seventh day and on the beginning of the next week, we witness his resurrection. The Temple is about to be destroyed, but we do not fear because it will be rebuilt after three days.

Rock on.

Edit: Mitch Lewis, far more qualified to speak on the subject and much better at expressing his points, has this to say about Palm Sunday.

Auld Lang Syne

Another calendar year has come and gone. We are now in the two thousand seventh year of our Lord. I, like many people, paused at midnight to think about the previous year. What had I done with it?

I can say that I graduated from high school, completed a semester of college, and went on a mission trip to New Orleans. I can go on and on about the good I did. But not really. Because I can say that I wasted the year. I can say that I devoted far too much time to television, anger, lust, greed, and sloth.

For most of the world, this is where resolutions come in. I resolve to eat less, read more, wake up earlier, blah less, eat more blahs, blah more this, blah blah that. And in about three days, that's where resolutions exit, stage left.

But what about Christianity? What type of resolutions should disciples make? If Matthew 5:33-37 is any indication, we shouldn't. This isn't to say we shouldn't change. Just that resolutions, oaths, vows, and the like are pointless. The first reason is obvious. Why should you wait until the new year? But Christ reminds us to avoid any form of oath. "Simply let your 'yes' be 'yes', and your 'no', no'".

And now, the kicker. The application. The new year should be like any other day. Look at your mistakes. Experience "Godly Sorrow". Remember that Jesus took your mistakes to the grave. Accept his forgivness and let the Love of God help you to do better next time.

Rock on.

I Can Only Hope to Be Peter

Matthew 14:22-36

Peter catches a lot of crud. He proclaimed Christ and was called the Rock on which the Church would be built, but also denied knowing Christ and sank when trying to walk on the water.

But let us take a closer look at his little stroll on the Sea of Galilee. First, the context. John the Baptist had just been killed and Jesus withdrew. However, people followed to hear him speak. This is where we hear that famous story that we all remember from Sunday school: The Feeding of the Five Thousand. Afterwards, the crowds dispersed and Jesus sent the disciples away on boat while he prayed. The disciples hit some rough water and then see a strange figure on the water moving towards them...on foot. "And now," to quote Paul Harvey, "the rest of the story."

The disciples did what any red-blooded human would do - flip out. After Christ assured them, Peter calls out to him. This is often translated as "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water," and this is often seen as Peter's first mistake (doubting Christ). But "if" could be better translated as "because". The NIV study note says it is "A condition assumed to be true." Peter is telling Christ that he will follow him, even in the seemingly impossible. And after having the faith to step from the ship to the sea, Peter gets scared and begins to sink. But here is where things get interesting: his first response isn't to try to save himself and swim back to the boat. Matthew tells us that he calls out to Christ for salvation.

I can only pray that when I start to sink, my first reaction is to call out to God.

Rock on.