Palm Sunday

On this Lord’s Day Palm Sunday, we have come to the final week before Resurrection Sunday.

We have come all the way, Looking Up, to Jesus, without falling away, only because of the faithfulness, understanding, forgiveness and unfailing help and guidance of our Holy Spirit. He has been our constant strength throughout and we cannot take a step without Him.

Thank You, Holy Spirit.

We come, pledging ourselves, to You, to stay with You during this final week, which has been styled, the Final Mile. Whatever has been installed for us in this Final Mile of publishing banners for Jesus, we ask, O Holy Spirit, that You continue to make us more and more like Jesus, in Spirit and in Truth.

Bless You, Holy Spirit.

Like many of you, I remember this Festive Sunday and how it was celebrated in my home congregation. Consciously aware that we all would have had different experiences of how Palm Sunday was celebrated when we were children, there is good in remembering. For one thing, it knocks energetically at our heart’s door, as it stimulates memories. One exciting surety was that we were each given a palm branch or palm leaf to wave, as we, the church congregation, marched through the streets of our village. The palms were our banners and we joyfully followed the older folks as, with verve and spirit, they sang all the rousing hymns of faith, with or without musical accompaniment. My vivid recollection was of no one walking; everyone was marching for Jesus.

The truth is that I, like many others, cannot march or even walk any long distances now, but there are still banners we can carry, even on this day called today.

With our faces, Looking Up, to our Jesus, we are witnessing the fulfilment of what the prophet did TELL.

Say to the Daughter of Zion, See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Matthew 21: 5

We are told in John’s Gospel that when a great crowd, who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the yearly Feast of the Passover, heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, they became all happy and excited. They took palm branches, and went out to meet Him, loudly shouting,

Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel! John 12: 13b

We are seeing banners of praise and hearing all the common people shouting in the streets as Jesus rides into Jerusalem. What a Triumphal Entry! Be very mindful of their shouts, which only give praise and thanks to Jesus as being of God.

Today, at any rate, voices are raised in praise to Jesus, in loud hosannas, as the King of Israel. On this celebratory day, banners of palms are waved and held high to Jesus, the Son of David. Matthew 21: 9b

Whom are we celebrating on this Palm Sunday? What is our banner of praise? If your life and my life, as servant-followers of Jesus, are living banners for Jesus, exactly what are we publishing in our words and work before those who are watching us?

With six more Holy Week days to go, six-seventh of the final mile, we lift lives of praise to Jesus.