This Sunday the beginning of the service started in celebration. The children paraded in and out of the church pews waving their palm branches as the band and congregation sang Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest. Children as young as two and old as 5th grade smiled, laughed, skipped, and waved branches ushering in the beginning of Holy Week. We even had palms in our hair and around our necks as necklaces! It was a celebration fit for a King!
On Palm Sunday so many years ago the people of Jesus’ time called out Hosanna to Him as they ushered Him into the Holy City and hailed Him King. They cried Hosanna, a cry yelled out to a king by a servant meaning have mercy. This cry has an ironic twist or reversal as they did not even realize to whom they were crying or how He would have mercy on them!
The great reversal is what Jesus is all about. He came so that our lives would be reversed. He came and the innocent was made guilty; the last became first; the master was made to be the servant; death was reversed into life!
He came so that our lives would be reversed.
We experienced the reversal of death as we witnessed God claiming 6 children into His kingdom through baptism. In our baptism we are joined with Christ’s death and resurrection. The great reversal has now become our life. We have the chance to live it out and leak Jesus everyday!
On Saturday I was crabby. I had returned from a relaxing and wonderful vacation in Florida with my family. I am not sure if it was just the shock of being back into reality or a lack of sleep, but I was not pleasant. I snapped at my children, was frustrated with my children and husband for no good reason. I did not take the chance to let Jesus and the reversal He made in my life change the way I was behaving.
We have the chance to live it out and leak Jesus everyday!
Sunday was better. Happy children, wonderful music, the forgiveness of my crabbiness, and the reminder that I am a child of God. The great reversal is mine and I can live like it is!
I have a stack of palm branches that made their way home from church on Sunday. As we continue to prepare for Holy Week the celebrations become much more somber. The palms that were waved and hailed the king are replaced with thorns and whips and a cross. The great reversal of this week continues as God’s plan for the salvation of His creation continues.
The great reversal of this week continues as God’s plan for the salvation of His creation continues.
You can quickly take a palm branch and change it into a cross as a reminder of the reversal that Jesus has done in your life. On Easter Sunday add a flower or butterfly to the palm cross to celebrate the resurrection of the our King and the reversal of death. If you need a palm branch pick one up from the office!
