July 06th, 2017

Luke 19:35-38 They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
 
THIS is the well-known Palm Sunday celebration. Jesus has come to Jerusalem. Great excitement filled the pathway from Bethany into Jerusalem’s east gate as “the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.”  Many of God’s chosen people had witnessed the will of heaven come to earth in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of God. These witnesses happily expressed their anticipation of an earthly salvation from oppressive foreign rule. Hope was real!
    Hear the hope: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”  How could one be quiet when the Promised One of long ago had this day come? For more than 800 years, faithful Jews had even against harsh reality, hopefully prayed these words and more from Psalm 118, expressing faithful fulfillment of God’s promises:
 
Psalms 118:20-30 This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. 21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. 22 The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 23 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. 27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. 29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
 
Jesus’ disciples – not only the Twelve but all who had learned his preaching and witnessed his miracles – saw Jesus that day as the Holy Scripture come in the flesh.
    Today we can faithfully use these words with even greater hope in our hearts to anticipate a new, eternal day God will make for all his children. Jesus has now entered heaven’s gate to prepare a place in the Father’s house for us. We have seen through the gospel witness the great miracle of his resurrection, ascension and eternal reign at the Father’s right hand. May we always remember: “His love endures forever.”  and joyfully expect the promised “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
 
Prayer: I give thanks to you, Lord, for your love endures forever. You are the eternal God who has called us into heaven’s peace. Amen.