Acts 1:3 - Passion Week: Palm Sunday

We are going to take a break from the book of Psalms for the next eight days and share the events in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ in what is called “Passion Week”. It is in these eight days that the greatest event in the course of human history takes place, and that is, the suffering, the death, the burial, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t ever forget that Jesus suffered like no man ever suffered as He lays down His life as God’s perfect sacrifice for our sins!

 Actually, if we want to look back one day to Saturday, we will find that the Lord Jesus was anointed with oil by Mary.  “And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table” (Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8). She was criticized by Judas and the disciples, but Jesus said, “She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her." (Mark 14:8-9). Jesus knew exactly what was going to take place in the course of this week!

What a great place to start these devotions this week. We should be encouraged to know that the Lord takes great note of our sacrificial devotion, records it, and will greatly reward it!

Today is called Palm Sunday. On this first day of the week, our Lord makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:1-11, 14-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44). Luke’s Gospel tells us, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. (Luke 19:28-31)

Mark’s Gospel informs us that this colt had never been ridden and it was tied “by the door, without in a place where two ways met.” (Mark 11:2-4). This is a beautiful picture of us as sinners. We are unbroken, rebelling against God, and “tied” to our sins! We are “tied” to our past, our guilt, our addictions, our bitterness and cannot lose ourselves. We need someone, sent by Jesus to tell us the story of His resurrection power and how He needs us to come into His family! Notice the colt was “by the door”! Remember Jesus is the door (John 10:9). The colt was “without”. We are outside the fold of safety. The colt was also “in a place where two ways met.” When we are introduced to Jesus, we are at the crossroad of two ways. We must either choose Jesus, the Narrow Way, or reject Him and continue down the broad way that leads to destruction!

When Jesus came into the City of Jerusalem, there was a great celebration by the people! When “much people …. heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem... cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (John 12:12-13)

Both Matthew and Mark’s Gospel record this entry: "Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord"  "Hosanna to the son of David... Hosanna in the highest" "Blessed is the kingdom that cometh, the kingdom of our father David" (Matthew 21:9; Mark 11:9-10). It is sad to note, that in less than five days later, many in this crowd would be crying “crucify Him”.  

The last thing we should note that took place on this day is the broken heart of Jesus over the city of Jerusalem. After the Pharisees criticized Jesus for accepting this praise he replied, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." Then Luke also tells us “as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes….” (Luke 19:40-44).

As Jesus faces the suffering of the cross, He is weeping over the lost condition of those who would crucify Him. May the Lord give us broken hearts like Jesus to pray and weep over the lost sinners around us today!

God bless!