Monday of Holy Week

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, a moment in history your church probably celebrated. Palm Sunday marks the moment Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey (fulfilling prophecy) during the last week of His life on earth, joining the Jewish people as they prepared to celebrate the Passover.

Jesus' arrival caused a huge stir. People lined the streets, cheering and shouting exclamations of praise as He passed by. The people admired Jesus so much that they laid their coats and palm leaves they had gathered on the ground for the donkey to walk on. It was a joyous celebration, full of people who seemed to recognize the importance of the moment, who seemed to know that Jesus was important.

Soon after the Triumphal Entry, Scripture tells us that Jesus went into the temple complex and threw out the people who were buying and selling there. Jesus banished all the things that cheapened the worship. He overturned tables, drove out buyers and sellers, and displayed a righteous anger. God had called His people to be pure and holy, and they weren't. More than that, they were doing their buying and selling in the Court of the Gentiles and because of it, the Gentiles couldn't even worship! The people's sin was greater than the sacrifices they brought (or bought). By the end of the week, Jesus would lay down His own life as the sacrifice, ending the need for the Jewish sacrificial system.

Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover with His disciples. By Friday, Jesus would be dying a criminal's death on a cross, bearing all of our sin. So while I love the joy of Palm Sunday, it also makes me a little sad. Because I know what has to happen next. I know what Jesus setting His face toward Jerusalem sets into motion. I know that Jesus, who was and is sinless, would have to take on my sin and die painfully on a cross He didn't deserve. The cross humbles me; the crucifixion bothers me. Because it isn't fair; it isn't right; and it was my fault. Yet, Jesus still said that I—and you—were worth it and submitted to His Father's plan of redemption. Know the truth of this: Jesus loves you—and He loved you even while He was on the cross.

This week between Palm Sunday and Easter is important for Christians, because without Christ's sacrifice and resurrection, we would have no hope—of glory, of relationship with the Father, of living life to its fullest.

So take some time each day this week to read about the events of Jesus' week in Jerusalem. Read Matthew 11:1-11 and Luke 19:18-40 today. Check out the prophecy His Triumphal Entry fulfills in Zechariah 9:9. Read about the God who desired followers with pure hearts and worship when He cleared the temple of money changers in Matthew 11:15-19 and Luke 19:45-48.

Think about your life today. What do you need to let God clean out of your life? What things need to be overturned and removed? What sins are you holding on to? How has your worship become less than pure? How are you trying to earn God's approval rather than accept His grace?