Palm Sunday

Today we recognize the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Having gone there last July, & even celebrated my birthday walking the streets of the old city thanking the Lord for my very life, this year I see an even clearer picture of that event. Many things have changed over the years yet if one visits Jerusalem with an open heart the Holy Spirit brings revelation & a clearer picture of the events that unfolded there. Not everyone can go to Jerusalem but there are so many excellent films on TV regarding the Holy Land I would encourage those who cannot go to view them.
Today as I think of Christ entering Jerusalem what comes to mind was standing & looking at the Praetorium from where Pilate could see all that was going on. We know that it was an essential part of God's plan that his son die that we may live-what does that mean to us? It means first & foremost that we too must die - to self - before we can have eternal life, for accepting Christ as our savior requires humility in admitting our sinful nature. People often say that no one has promised our life will be easy & that is very true, but God has promised that he will give us everything we need to deal with life if we trust in him. The Father did not promise that final trip into Jerusalem would be easy, but he did give Christ what he needed to deal with it. He was able to speak intelligently with Pilate, he resisted satan's taunts, & he withstood his closest friends' failure to acknowledge knowing him. We too can speak with intelligence to our enemies, resist temptation, & tolerate the failures of those closest to us with grace if we know Christ. Knowing Christ requires not just knowing who he is & what he did for us, but engaging with him in a personal relationship. Scripture tells us he is our friend, our brother, & our savior. We should be able to talk to him just as we would talk to an earthly brother or close friend. Just as Pilate sat in his lofty headquarters and watched, so the world sits & watches us. One of the best things we can do is to act with confidence & show them the victory there is in relationship with Jesus.
Little did the world realize just how great the triumph would be as Jesus rode into town that day, as they thought an earthly king was coming, but soon they were to witness the power of God in a new way. Up until now they knew only of the Father but soon they were to see Jesus was the Son and not long after they would see the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. 2,000+ years later man has tried to water down the message of the word of God, but God...Father, Son, & Holy Spirit is the same yesterday, today, & tomorrow! If we take God at his word, we must believe his entire word. He created us, saved us, & he empowered us. He gave us gifts that many of us have failed to open thus rendering ourselves powerless. I would challenge you as you reflect on the vastness of creation & the depth of salvation to move forward to open & use God's gifts to you so that you may fight the good fight without a spirit of fear. Growth as a believer requires acceptance & understanding of the whole word.