Palm Passion Sunday

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King - John 12:12-16
The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 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!”
Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;   see, your king is coming,  seated on a donkey’s colt.”
At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

St. John’s account of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is a unique window into the lives of the disciples. They were eyewitnesses to the triumphal entry. Yet, at the time they observed these events unfold, they did not, and could not, comprehend their meaning. It was after the resurrection, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that they could make the connection between Jesus life, ministry, suffering, death and resurrection and the words of the Old Testament.

Centuries before, it was the Prophet Zachariah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, who declared that God would appear at the gates of Jerusalem in the person of the Messiah, riding on a donkey. He even declared that the Messiah would come from the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4). God’s Word became flesh that day.

Zechariah foretold the Messiah would be a shepherd king who was first embraced by the flock and then hated by the flock. The shepherd would rejected and bought off for 30 pieces of silver. The money would be tossed into the Temple. (Zachariah 11:4-17). The Gospels record that the people loved Jesus when he entered Jerusalem a donkey; yet, within days the crowds called  for his crucifixion. The Gospels testify that Judas received 30 pieces of silver for betraying Jesus to the authorities. When he realized what he had done, Judas threw the money into the Temple. God’s Word became flesh that day.

Zachariah 13:7-9, revealed that the shepherd king would be struck and his sheep would be scattered as a consequence. The Gospels reveal that following his betrayal, the religious authorities arrested Jesus and beat him. The disciples ran and deserted Jesus in response. God’s Word become flesh that day.

Zachariah was given a vision of the Messiah, a son of the house of David, pierced, suffering and dying. (Zachariah 12:10-1).The verses declared the death of the "one pierced" would trigger great mourning. At the same time God’s grace and supplication would be revealed. Even the land would mourn. The Gospels reveal that on Good Friday women mourned Jesus as he carried his cross to Golgotha (Luke 23:26-31). Jesus mother and other women mourned his death on Good Friday. On Good Friday the sky went black the land was convulsed by an earthquake. The Book of Acts reveals that on the first Pentecost Sunday the hearts of 3,000 people were broken when the Holy Spirit convicted them of their complicity in the suffering and death of Jesus Christ and asked what they might do to be saved (Acts 2:14-37). God’s Word became flesh on those  days.

Zachariah 13:1 declares that on a certain day, a fountain would be open hat would cleanse the people of their sin. On Good Friday, Jesus, God’s true High Priest, offered the sacrifices described on the Day of Atonement (read Leviticus 16). In the crucifixion, Jesus offered himself as the sin goat, that appeased God’s wrath and anger against sin and sinners and the scape goat whose death atoned for the sins of all who believe in him. (Hebrews 9:1-14). God’s Word became flesh that day.

Zachariah 9:11delares that because of the blood of God’s covenant with His people, God would free prisoners from the waterless pit. At the moment of Jesus’ death on Good Friday, the earthquake hit and: the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.(Matthew 27:51-3). God's Word became flesh that day.

During Holy Week and Easter we remember that the words of the Old Testament became flesh in the conception, birth, preaching, teaching, miracles, innocent suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. We remember that the Word made flesh made a promise on his way to the cross. “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). Jesus promises that one day his promise of resurrection will become flesh for all who die believing him.

God bless your Holy Week.

Palm/Passion Sunday

A Podcast Interview Presented By:

Pastor Rick Bergh

Bereavement Educator & Counselor

Spring Educational Event

Rwandan Appeal.

CALC's Annual General Convention - Saturday June 12th, 2021