SATURDAY STROLL - Palm Sunday

Welcome to "SATURDAY STROLL!"

In these posts I will be interacting with Scripture – making it a conversational walk of faith.

Sometimes we'll be talking with Jesus, sometimes God will be talking with us.

There might even be *guest appearances* by some of our beloved characters from the Bible!

So put on your walking shoes – you know we can all use the exercise!

PALM SUNDAY

God's Word - and some words...

As He rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of Him.

Others cut branches from the trees and spread them along the ground.

In many lands in the ancient Near East, it was customary to cover in some way the path of someone thought worthy of the highest honor. The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory in Jewish tradition.

Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around Him were shouting.

Center of attention: the object upon which interest and attention focuses; something interesting that stimulates conversation; something that strongly attracts attention and admiration; a striking person or thing that attracts attention

When He reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of His followers began to shout and sing as they walked along.

The Mount of Olives is frequently mentioned in the New Testament as the route from Jerusalem to Bethany and the place where Jesus stood when He wept over Jerusalem. Jesus is said to have spent time on the mount, teaching and prophesying to His disciples, returning after each day to rest, and also coming there on the night of His betrayal. At the foot of the Mount of Olives lies the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus ascended from the Mt. of Olives as recorded in the book of Acts 1:9–12.

They praised God for all the wonderful things they had seen.

Praise God for the Son of David!

Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David!

Hail to the King of Israel!

Jesus was called the "son of David," which is a clear reference to His right to inherit David's throne. This is the "royal line" and it shows the legal right to David's throne being passed down all the way to Joseph who adopted Jesus, thus making Him the heir of David's kingdom. Since the right to the kingdom always passes from the father to the son, we can conclude that Matthew's genealogy lists Jesus' ancestors through His "father," Joseph.

Luke's genealogy must list Jesus' ancestors through His mother. Jesus was the natural son of Mary, who conceived by the Holy Ghost and therefore He becomes the Son of God. Reading through Luke's genealogy, we can see how Jesus, through His blood relationship with His mother and her ancestors, becomes the true son of God.

Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!

Praise God in highest heaven!

Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the LORD!

Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!

The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as He entered.

The dusty roads leading into Jerusalem were anything but quiet. Excitement filled the air! Passover, the biggest holiday of the year, was only one week away. It seemed that everyone from everywhere was coming to Jerusalem to celebrate. The roads were crowded with donkeys and camels – most people also brought other animals with them. The mood was boisterous and joyous.

Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it.

That was the reason so many went out to meet Him – because they had heard about this miraculous sign.

Christ can and shall raise all the dead at the last day. Consider this statement: "Don't be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God's Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life…"

(John 5:28, 29).

The one who raised Lazarus also died, but was raised to die no more – "But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died." (1 Corinthians 15:20)

But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, "Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!"

Despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in Him. Many did believe, including some of the Jewish leaders, but they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would exclude them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

Jesus replied, "If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!"

Oh Lord, don't let the stones shout out instead of me!

Hear my voice among the multitude:

Hail to Jesus, my King, my Savior – my Friend!

(Selections from Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12)

What celebration do you have planned for Palm Sunday?

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"