The King is Coming -- Order Up a 21-Gun Salute

It’s Palm Sunday – just one week before Easter – oh the joy of our Risen Lord! But, hold on! Without this week, there would be no Resurrection Sunday! On this day, the disciples and the crowds were fanatical praisers and worshippers – waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Matthew 21:9. The crowds rejoiced in His powers of healing, in the miracles He’d performed; His popularity reigned supreme. He was SOMEBODY! While kings today ride in streamlined jets, King Jesus rode in on a donkey, a symbol of meekness and peace. How different His entry was – not a 21-gun salute, but the swishing of palm branches.

But those finding-fault Pharisees complained about all the raucous: "Teacher, reprove Your disciples!” Notice that they didn't call Jesus “King.” They called Him "teacher." To them, Jesus was no greater than any other teacher. He had become a threat to their "authority." This, SOMEBODY, was getting in their way! But our “rock-solid” Lord replied, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!” And we took Christ’s words so seriously, that today we join those crowds of praising and worshipping our King of Kings and Lord of Lords! We will NOT allow the rocks and stones to outdo us!

Those of us who know Him as Savior and Lord cannot be silenced by a few who would “reprove” us. We know what this week represents. We stand in allegiance to Him as in this week, He was our humble, suffering, sacrificial servant. He suffered rejection, lies, beatings, floggings, being nailed to the cross and dying for us. We are doing our best to follow His lead because we've learned not to run away or cower in the face of difficulty. We want the world to know that Jesus Christ is King and it is worth the price of ridicule and rejection to proclaim Him as our Lord and Savior. This Holy Week, we continue to journey on with our precious Lord. What a gift it is to know the promise that awaits us if we stay with Him on the road. If we are faithful servants, we will also know the empty tomb, and best of all, we will abide with Him forever in eternity.

Not only did our King know precisely who He was when He entered Jerusalem, He knows who He is as He enters the Jerusalem of our lives. He touches ALL people – those with rank, and those who are broken, rejected, and unloved. He never refuses anyone who comes to Him for help. He helps those with shattered dreams and bruised spirits. That's the kind of Lord He is! That's the kind of KING He is! Today, He desires to transform us, touch our lives and make us new. He loves us so much that He was thinking about us then....and He is still thinking about us today. “Hosanna! Our King has come!

Palm Sunday = Salvation Army Everyday!

It’s Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. Palm Sunday represents the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Today, churches will celebrate in different ways. Some will simply acknowledge it, or not, while others make a big deal about it. At some churches, the people meet then they emerge to process around the outside of the church or down a hallway into the sanctuary. They’ll be waving palm branches, others playing musical instruments, others shouting and singing, "Hosanna." Other church’s choirs, orchestra and drama team will begin presenting the Easter story through music and drama. However you and/or your church celebrates it, it is certain that Palm Sunday is a day of rejoicing, for OUR King is coming!

I read this story about pastor and seminary professor, Dr. Walter Bruggemann. “He and the rest of the Palm Sunday procession were heading toward the church when a young man living in the apartment house across the street threw up the window and shouted, "What's all that noise? You sound like the Salvation Army!" Dr. Bruggemann looked up at him and said, "Son, we ARE the Salvation Army!" What better way to sum up the events of the first Palm Sunday than to call it a Salvation Army Parade?

Holy Week begins today with Jesus' "ragtag army parade" coming into Jerusalem. He came -- not on an elaborate float or carried on a King’s opulent throne or riding a magnificent white stallion, but on a donkey, followed by His "ragtag army", a motley crew of disciples and peasant followers. There were no loud brass bands playing triumphant music to acclaim the King’s arrival. There were just lowly pilgrims waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna, blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord”. Luke 19:38. Today, we visualize "being there" with those who had witnessed the miracles of Jesus, His kindness and love, and they just KNEW that He was their long-awaited King who would set all chaotic things in order.

Just three years after appearing on the scene, Jesus' “Salvation Army Story" on this earth was coming to a fast close, but His “Story” just began because it would ultimately become our “Salvation Story”. Jesus knew what He was doing. He set His destiny into motion when He arranged for a donkey and two of his disciples brought it to Him. Jesus set the stage for the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy spoken and referred to in Matthew 21:5 "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey."

We know that “pomp and circumstance” comes to kings and royalty, but it isn’t so with King Jesus. He is a different kind of king. His throne isn’t about determination to rule. His is determination to serve. Most royal figures spend time building their egos; His comes with total humility. Kings, today, ride in majestic, streamlined jets. King Jesus rode on a donkey. He knew exactly what He was doing. A donkey is a symbol of meekness and peace. How different His entry was – not a 21-gun salute, but swishing of palm branches. A king’s death was hailed by royal salutes, but King Jesus knew His was to be a cross. Oh, yes, OUR King is a different King.

Not only did our King know precisely who He was when He entered Jerusalem, but right now He knows who He is as He enters the Jerusalem of OUR lives. He healed the blind and lame. He touched people. He touched ALL people – those with rank, and those who were broken, rejected, and unloved. He never refused anyone who came to Him for help. He helped those with shattered dreams and bruised spirits. And the best news is, that’s the people He came for – those “ragtag” people -- people like you and me. His “ragtag army” – His SALVATION ARMY that will lift His banner high as we worship, praise, and are His ambassadors to a world that needs Him so much.

Palm Sunday -- Hosanna to Our King

Day 87 of Photo Inspirations – Palm Sunday – Hosanna to Our King
At church, today, we’ll process into the sanctuary carrying palm branches as we celebrate Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, and depicting, somewhat, the Jesus “parade” when he came into Jerusalem – not on an elaborate float or carried on a King’s opulent throne or riding a magnificent white stallion, but on a donkey, followed by a motley crew of disciples and peasant followers.  There were no loud brass bands playing triumphant music to acclaim the King’s arrival.  There were just lowly pilgrims waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna”.  Today, we set our hearts in motion to "being there" with those who had witnessed the miracles of Jesus, His kindness and love, and they just KNEW that He was their long-awaited King who would set all the things in order that had been in total chaos.

And, it was all a pre-planned event. None of it was an accident.   Jesus knew what He was doing.  He had arranged for a donkey and two of his disciples brought it to Him.   Jesus set the stage for what we now call Holy Week and it would fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy spoken before and now referred to in Matthew 21:5 "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".

And, all that this day was, over 2,000 years ago, is still true in this 21st century.  OUR King is coming.  With what we have come to know as “pomp and circumstance” when it comes to kings and royalty, it isn’t so with King Jesus.   He is a different kind of king.  His throne isn’t about determination to rule; His is determination to serve.  Where most royal figures spend time building their egos; His comes with total humility.  While kings today ride in majestic and streamlined jets, King Jesus rode in on a donkey.  And, He knew exactly what He was doing.  He could have ridden in on a horse. Jesus rode a donkey, a symbol of meekness and peace.    How different His entry was – not a 21-gun salute, but swishing of palm branches.  The king’s death was accompanied by royal salutes and honored acclamations, but King Jesus knew His was to be a cross.  Our King is a different King.

Not only did our King know precisely who He was when He entered Jerusalem,  right now He knows who He is as He enters the Jerusalem of our lives.  He healed  the blind and lame.  He touched people.  He touched ALL people – those with rank, and those who were broken, rejected, and unloved.   He never refused anyone who came to Him for help.  He helped those with shattered dreams and bruised spirits.  And the best news is….. He did it then; He does it now. That's the kind of Lord He is!    That's the kind of KING He is!  Today, He wants to transform us, touch our lives and make us new.  He loves us so much that He was thinking about us then....and TODAY.  Yes, we sing “Hosanna!  Our King has come!