Palms Up

April 7, 2022
Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
John 12:12-16

Sunday will be celebrated in many churches as “Palm Sunday”. Many will reenact the above scripture as congregants wave palm branches and sing or shout “Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!”

Recently, as I was walking in the parking lot of our little church, I found myself surrounded by singing birds and the sound of the creek gently flowing. I heard the bells of another church in town ringing out the noon hour time of prayer and I started to sing; “It’s the most wonderful time of the year, when birds are singing and church bells are ringing to bring us good cheer. It’s the most wonderful time of the year” (tune borrowed from the famous Christmas song ). Yep, for many people this is the most wonderful time of the year. Spring is trying to spring forth, with warmer weather and more daylight hours, stores are filled with plush bunnies and candy that would make Willy Wonka drool, it’s all so much fun.

For followers of Christ, this week marks the most wonderful time and also the most difficult time as we enter into Holy Week. From Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday we look again at the telling of how the crowds cheered for Jesus as the King of Israel and then just a few days later many in that same crowd would be angry when they realized Jesus was not the kind of king they were looking for and they would shout again in the public square, not “Blessed is he”, but “Crucify him!”.

For followers of Christ, this is a time for a bolder witness that Jesus is truly the king we need. His example of serving and suffering is a difficult one to follow, and yet, that is what we are called to do. When the people shouted “Hosanna!”, they were literally shouting “Save Us”! Indeed, that is what Jesus did when he “suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified, died and was buried and on the third day rose again” (taken from The Apostles Creed, United Methodist Hymnal pg. 881).

I pray you will find this wonderful time of the year a time to reflect on the events of that first Holy Week and be motivated to trust and serve Jesus, the only one who can truly save you.