The details of gospel accounts of Jesus‘ resurrection never fail to blow our minds when we stop and examine. Just like much of his life and ministry, when Jesus first announced he had risen from the dead, and changed everything for the whole world forever, there was no fanfare or fireshow or thunderous display, just calm, kind words to a woman who had loved him dearly. Jesus always chooses the Mary Magdalene's, which is hope for all of us.
Palm Sunday - Welcoming Jesus as King
Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, where He was welcomed by crowds of people who spread palm branches and cloaks on the road in front of Him as a sign of honour and respect. They were caught up with the joy that comes from 700 years of waiting for a mighty deliverer to free them from their oppressors. Only 5 days later this same crowd would turn against Jesus and demand that He be crucified because they didn’t understand that the kingdom Jesus came to establish was not a physical nation, but a kingdom found in the hearts of people.
The Way Into Life
The week after Easter: Thomas doesn’t meet the risen Jesus until a week after the resurrection. He’s an intriguing character- alone, doubting, troubled- but he goes on to doing extraordinary things. As such he is the perfect example of how Jesus changes people. Following Thomas we’ve got to be honest, we’ve got to believe, but more than that- we’ve also got to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. This is simple, but not easy. But the consequences are huge- this is the way into life in all its fullness.
The Paradox of the Triumphal Entry
On this important day en route to Easter, we celebrate Palm Sunday as a paradox. Jesus was not the sort of king that God’s people were expecting. In the same way, Jesus experienced the heaviness of disappointment in God’s people missing the point. This message digs into the paradox of the now-and-not yet of Christ’s kingdom and how we can make room for Him and listen to the Spirit in new ways.