The Details Matter…Palm Sunday
Last week was a busy week.
At Crosspoint, we were making the final preparations to host our 2nd Annual Easter Eggstravaganza. Preparations had started weeks ago, but there are just things that can’t be done until the week of the event. The Saturday before we had a work day to get our “Backyard” space ready to use. Tuesday, my dad and I, spent most of the day assembling picnic tables for the Backyard. My wife, Christy, was amazing at coordinating the whole thing. Shopping at Sam’s for 500 hot dogs and chips. Mowing and striping the grass field for parking. Friday was setting up and staging everything to go out Saturday morning. 9:45am, the steady stream of cars came and came…hours of preparation culminated between 10am and 1pm of Saturday with over 900 guests enjoying the day with us. And then it was over…and we’re all tired…but amazed at the response God gave us. We certainly pray the impact of the Gospel continues in the lives of those who came.
Our week pales in comparison to Holy Week. But the events of Holy Week did not just begin with Palm Sunday. Planning and preparation had not even started months before, but centuries and millennium before. What God had been planning in eternity for the salvation of souls, would reach its final culmination in a week’s time…from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.
Like with any event, details are important. Many may not recognize them, but to the planner they are important to carry out. This week, I’d like to reflect on some of the details.
Detail #1: Colt
Would anyone have noticed if Jesus walked into Jerusalem or rode a horse into Jerusalem? Perhaps some would have still paved the way with branches and garments. Yet a significant detail is the donkey. One that probably wasn’t ever ridden. It was the foal of a donkey – so a young donkey.
Yet Jesus knew exactly where to find the donkey. Imagine the disciples sent on this mission to get the donkey and simply say to the owner, “The Lord needs them.” Is this justified stealing? No. It is a detail orchestrated in eternity. Recorded by the prophet Zechariah 500 years before Jesus and played out in real time with an owner of the donkey near Bethphage.
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
The mount of Jesus was not just the most convenient. It was a detail that the Spirit of God orchestrated to convey the humility of Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem, not to conquer it, but to serve it.
The donkey wasn’t anything spectacular, but it was a detail that had to be in place for Jesus to bring to completion the salvation of our your soul and mine.
Apply: What other details of Palm Sunday catch your attention? Why are they significant? Read the account in Matthew 21, John 12
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for paying attention to the details to fulfill all prophesy and do all that was necessary for my salvation. AMEN.
What do we do about it?
“What do we do about it?”
After tragedies such as we experienced play out in Nashville this week, people and pundits naturally gravitate to the question, “What are we going to do about it?” First topic is usually gun control and some sort of suggestion about banning certain types of weapons. Second topic is usually mental health and “flagging” people who seek psychiatric help with the inability to purchase firearms.
Perhaps some of this may have impact. But probably not much.
In this incident, since it was a transgender person at a Christian school, there are those that advocate that since Christians “hate” transgender people that it was understandable the emotional injury this person had would play out against those that instilled it was wrong. People mock the practice of prayer and indicate that praying is obviously worthless because God didn’t protect the six individuals.
Again, these comments miss the mark and lean toward the wrong solution…banning counseling against gender transition…making Christianity the problem etc.
I wondering if situations like this were on Jesus’ mind when he finished his prayer in the upper room:
John 17:25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
The problem?
The world doesn’t know the Father.
With no acknowledgement of the Lord and adherence to his standards or appreciation for his love and grace, the world is becoming a very skewed place. The thought seems to permeate reactions to tragedies is this, “If we just have the right laws we can get rid of death and evil.
The problem is the sinful heart will always be bent on evil, no matter what laws are in place.
The problem is a heart problem.
Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
The problem is a heart which denies God and loves evil.
The solution?
Notice Jesus doesn’t pray for government policies, stricter laws, or tighter security. Jesus prays that people come to know the Father, the work of Jesus Christ, and the love of God. He prays that the love the Father has for him would be in the lives of every individual.
Jesus knows that the only solution and strength to overcome evil is the presence of God’s Spirit and the love of God permeating the hearts of people.
Perhaps laws will have a short term impact and more security at schools will deter evil, but the solution for a heart of evil is a heart covered by the blood of Jesus.
Apply: Notice coverage of various news stories. Do you agree or disagree with the solutions proposed? Would the story line have changed if the people involved knew the Father and were filled with the love of Jesus?
Prayer: Father, make yourself known to us and through us to the world around that hearts bent on evil might be changed to hearts seeking to love you and love others. AMEN.
Sense out of the senseless?
(PICTURE REMOVED – of Covenant Presbyterian Church / Covenant School shooting)
Three children. Three staff. Dead.
“I can’t believe that someone would do that. It’s like a movie.”
What played out on our TV screens and on our media posts is not a movie, but another senseless killing of innocent school teachers and children. Three families are grieving the loss of their children. Three families grieving the loss of their parents.
It doesn’t make sense. It does make sense.
In reflecting on the prayer Jesus prayed the night before he was senselessly and innocently murdered on a cross, he prays this:
John 17:24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
The heart of Jesus as he prayed for his disciples and all believers was one thing. I want them to be with me where I am.
I don’t think he was praying that they would be with him as he was scourged. I don’t think he was praying that they would join him on the cross. I don’t think he was praying that they would be falsely accused and innocently killed.
He was praying that he would lose none of those the Father had given him and that all who had believed in him would be with him in the glory of heaven.
He wants all to be able to say in their final breath, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
There is not a morning that goes by as I drop my daughter off to school, that evil incarnate could come into that school and commit sick, heinous crimes against the students and teachers of her high school. In spite of a police on staff, security measures in place, and regular intruder drills among the students, evil can enter and life can be taken.
So my prayer echos that of Jesus. I just want my daughters and my wife and I to be in heaven with Jesus. If my morning, “I love you” is the last I see of my daughter on earth, I pray it is the first of her hearing Jesus say, “Welcome home! I love you! I’m glad you’re safe with me.” I pray that if our time on earth is cut short, our reunion in heaven is long lived.
Jesus wants you to be with him. Period.
This weekend begins Holy Week. The purpose of Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem, teaching in the temple, gathering with his disciples, going on trial before the Sanhedrin and Pilate, being nailed to the cross and coming out of the tomb alive has one focus.
He loves you. He wants you to be where he is and to see his glory.
While outright evil took the life-breath from six individuals, I pray that Jesus’ prayer has been answered and another six individuals are where he is and experiencing his glory because Jesus lived, died and rose again for them.
And we grieve for the one, who appears from outward actions, will miss out on the glory of heaven forever.
Apply: A school shooting can be a sobering reminder of evil and the fragility of life. Use this event to renew your trust in Jesus, lead those you love to do the same, and pray as Jesus did that all, but especially those you love and care about, will be with him and see his glory forever.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your love and your heart and your action that not only desires us to be with your forever, but has done everything necessary for us to be with you forever. Keep us close to you and to all those you love. AMEN.
How does unity happen?
(Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: Pray Like Jesus! Pray for Unified Direction! – CLICK HERE)
Ask any couple what makes a marriage work and most would say, “Communication.” In order to build oneness in a marriage, communication has to take place. Not just words about what is happening, but words that express emotion and understanding. Words must communicate what is important and how one feels. Words can communicate love and joy or sadness and frustration. Whatever the words are, they are spoken, God-willing, to strengthen unity.
As Jesus prays for oneness among all those that believe in him, he gives insight into how that unity is built…through words…his words.
Jesus prays for “all those who would believe in him through their message.” The message to which he is referring is the word of truth that he communicated and committed to his disciples. It was the Word that would set them apart and give them all they needed to carry out the work of bringing Jesus to the world.
“Sanctify them by the truth, your word is truth.” (John 17:17)
Oneness is superficial if not built on the Word of God.
In the Christian world, there has been a movement called the “Ecumenical Movement.” This movement seems to have gained traction after the devastation and division of World War II. One of the leaders in this movement became the World Council of Churches (WCC). The stated purpose of this collective group of church was to promote “unity, peace, and justice” in the world. Their efforts have been lobbying for racial justice, civil rights and more recently climate legislation. A keynote speaker at the 70th anniversary of the WCC stated this:
70, 50, 20 years of walking and together in and for unity, peace, and justice: this long pilgrimage of faith is who we are and what we do, namely: praying, walking, working and remembering together as churches following in Jesus’ steps toward a better world, one that more closely hews to Jesus’ vision of God’s reign on earth.*
While working toward unity, peace and justice is not inherently wrong, it is not at the heart of Jesus’ vision for his church on earth. The Church has as it’s primary purpose to bring the Gospel of Jesus to the hearts of people. God’s ultimate will is the salvation of souls. Jesus himself said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” While unity may be built around shared efforts to bring unity, peace and justice to the world and take steps to make the world a better place, it is not, I believe, what Jesus was praying for when he prayed that “they may all be one.” Because for the sake of unity in this area are churches that deny the inspiration of Scripture, that discount the full redemptive work of Jesus Christ, or dismiss the teachings of Creation, baptism and Lord’s supper as non-fundamental teachings of the Scripture. The compromise is the truth of the Scripture to bring about collective efforts to address the worlds problems. What is missed in the effort to build unity, is that unity is built when ALL of God’s Words are expressed as important and the main focus of the Church is to bring the Gospel to the hearts of people. Unity is not measured by external cooperation, it is measured by internal agreement to all the words which God has spoken to us.
This type of unity takes work. It takes effort to have direct and challenging conversations about what God’s Word says. It is not always popular to uphold teaching that goes against culture. It is not well received when the absolute truth and the single way to heaven is taught.
But then unity comes through conversation…so like you do in marriage, take time to communicate. When God’s Word is the center of that communication, the Spirit can create true and lasting unity.
Apply: Where have you experienced superficial unity? Where have you experienced true oneness? What was the difference?
Prayer: Lord thank you for your Word. Help me to always use it to build oneness with others around me. AMEN.
Oneness is difficult.
(Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: Pray Like Jesus! Pray for Unified Direction! – CLICK HERE)
Oneness is hard to achieve and hard to maintain.
We can be in the same room and not be one.
We can be in a relationship and not be one.
We can work for the same company and not be one.
Jesus prayed for all those who would believe in him through the message of his disciples to be one. I don’t know if I really grasp fully what he is praying for as it is, in my opinion, so hard to experience in life.
The first example that comes to mind is Adam and Eve in the garden. The lack of sin in their lives allowed them to live in full harmony with God and with each other. God would walk in the garden with them and interact with them. There was no fear of each other or threat of harm. While we know very little of this time, however the perception of “it was good” was a perfect harmony between God and Adam and Eve and Adam and Eve and God.
Sin created division.
Perhaps we can sense the reality of a lack of oneness more than describe what oneness is. When Adam and Eve chose to eat of the fruit of which God had told them not to, there was an immediate break in oneness. Adam and Eve hid from God. Fear was a new emotion that kept them from engaging in a daily walk together. Adam blamed God for Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. Blaming was a new activity in that marriage and in the relationship with God. Pain and heartache were new consequences. A quick read of Genesis 4-6 and one realizes the oneness of the Garden deteriorated rapidly to a self-centered oneness that engaged in evil and wickedness. The issue was the heart of mankind had drifted from a love of God to a love of self.
God seeks oneness.
A key starting point to understanding ‘oneness’ is God himself.
Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
Even though throughout Scriptures, God reveals himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, there is no division between each person of the godhead. They are unified in being – each fully God. They are unified in proclamation – they all say the same thing. They are unified in purpose – bringing salvation to all mankind.
Jesus gives examples:
John 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
John 8:27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.
The oneness God experiences and expresses as God is what Jesus is desiring all believers to experience.
Let’s just say, we have work to do!
Apply: How do you see the oneness of the Trinity play out in the oneness shared by believers?
PRAYER: Father, thank you for being one with the Son and the Spirit. Give us insights into the oneness you exhibit as God so that we might experience a small glimpse of that with fellow believers. AMEN.