The Joy and Pain of Palm Sunday

It is hard for me to believe that today marks the beginning of Holy Week. It seems like we were just celebrating Christmas. I have always enjoyed Holy Week: a time of both joy and sorrow as we follow Jesus from his joyous entrance into Jerusalem to his death on the cross and, finally, his glorious resurrection on the cross.


Today was a very interesting Palm Sunday service for me. At my church in the States the service is usually filled with joyful songs and a parade of children waving palm branches as we celebrate Jesus' entry into the city like the people in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. "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!" John 12:13


Today at my church in South Africa, however, there was also funeral during the service so instead of an exciting day of celebration the only procession was that of the casket and the family of the deceased. As you can imagine, this was very different from what I was used to. On my way to church I was eager to read the story and hear the songs of praise and although there were some choruses that were sung and the scripture reading was the story of Palm Sunday the day was marked by the sadness of death. It was a Palm Sunday service I had never experienced before but I think that it is a perfect representation of how the day was for Jesus. Although there were joyful songs and much celebration, He knew that his death on the cross lay ahead in only a few days.


It may seem strange that these people who celebrated and praised their savior could turn against him so quickly but they had expectations of what God was going to do. They wanted to be saved in a way that Jesus was not living up to so they got angry. We aren't that much different though, are we? How often do we go from praising God when something goes well to cursing him when something bad happens. How fickle our hearts truly are. Lucky for us, Jesus' love for us doesn't change. As He loved the people who hated Him 200 years ago, He loves us now.


I pray that we may use this day and the days ahead to reflect on the love that Jesus has for all of us. He knew that the songs of praise would turn to shouts of anger but he loved them anyway. I pray that we may have this same compassion in our hearts. As Jesus enters Jerusalem today may he also enter our hearts and our minds so that we can share the love that He has given us.

"I am the thorn in Your crown, but You love me anyway. I am the sweat from Your brow, but You love me anyway. I am the nail in Your wrist, but You love me anyway. I am Judas' kiss, but You love me anyway. See now I am the man who yelled out from the crowd for Your blood to be spilled on this earth-shaking ground. Yes then I turned away with a smile on my face with this sin in my heart, tried to bury Your grace... But You love me anyway. It's like nothing in life that I've ever known, but You love me anyway." 

You Love Me Anyway, Sidewalk Prophets