Passion Week - Sunday
For the next week, I'll be highlighting the major events in the bible that occurred as Jesus prepared for the cross.
Yesterday was the traditional beginning of the Passion week of Jesus Christ. It was yesterday that Jesus triumphantly rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed colt. Something amazing happened on that victorious day: Jesus received the adoration and worship of a large crowd. This is something that we don't see him doing very often in the Gospel accounts.. Normally, he avoided the crowds, scuttled away before they would make him king:
“Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone”
But on this victorious day, Jesus finally gave his followers the opportunity to express their gratitude, their praise, their adoration for the One who had healed them, preached to them, taught them and loved them. This was not just a praise service though.. The palm branch was (and is) a symbol of great victory. According to Wikipedia:
“The palm branch is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace and eternal life originating in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world. The palm (Phoenix) was sacred in Mesopotamian religions, and in ancient Egypt represented immortality. In Judaism, a closed frond of the date palm is part of the festival of Sukkot. A palm branch was awarded to victorious athletes in ancient Greece, and a palm frond or the tree itself is one of the most common attributes of Victory personified in ancient Rome.”
On that day, Jesus was experiencing His first coronation! This is just a small glimpse of what Heaven will look like one day! It was such a boisterous occasion that even the Pharisees took notice and asked Jesus to quiet them down:
“And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.””
This event was a preview of what life will be like in eternity. I don't know about you, but I can't wait until the day that I can join in with all the saints and the rest of the Heavenly host to welcome Jesus to His eternal throne in the New Jerusalem! GO JESUS!