Walk With Jesus!

Upon hearing the news that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, crowds came to welcome him with branches of palm trees. Normally at this time of the year, Jerusalem is filled with many religious pilgrims coming into town for the Passover festival which commemorates God’s liberation of Jews from Egyptian slavery. Just imagine the atmosphere… Festivities, decorations and lots of people in town. If there is anything of interest that happens, it’s expected to happen during this time. The OT scriptures predicted this event many years before that day: of how Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey: Behold Zion, your King comes to you, humble and riding a donkey (Zech. 9:9). Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord (Ps 118): This is what we celebrate as we process in Palm Sunday Liturgy. On one hand, we see a celebration we call “the triumphant entry into Jerusalem” and on the other, the crucifixion at the end of the week! Two opposite reactions almost a week apart. It seems surreal yet true. What kind of reaction will we have to Jesus’ journey as we try to relive the story of Holy Week? Remember we are called to imitate Christ both in his life/his death: (1) We will either identify with those welcoming Jesus as King or (2) We will identify with those, staying in the fringes, who remained indifferent to what’s happening. My hope today, is that we would take a look at our own reaction to Jesus’ journey and ask Jesus to come and live in our hearts, and transform our behaviors/lifestyles, as we walk with him for the rest of Holy Week leading up to the joy of Easter morning. So, walk with Jesus! We are told that Jesus loved to visit Mount of Olives: In this last week of his life on earth, he visited Mount Olive 3 times, including the last visit in the Garden of Gethsemane “Oil press.” He was now at the bottom of that Mountain when he met up with the crowd. This place is significance for Jesus; a place of rest! Curiously, also a stark reminder of how olives get crushed to make Olive oil! Jesus had been predicting his crushing/death and now he was at the door of this incredible event in the coming week. I want to draw your attention to the great entrance: Jesus was there at the very beginning of the Passover Festival, to commemorate the saving of Israelites in Egypt, but also to save them like God did before. The disciples were told to find a young donkey that none has ever riden on and borrow it. They obeyed. You see, the Lord knows everything about us, our aspirations, our ambitions, even every inch of our struggles. The Lord knew the struggles of those at the great entrance. Perhaps they were looking for a mighty messiah, to change the Roman oppressive political system. Perhaps they were expecting a King who would come to ease the pain caused by financial and spiritual bankruptcy. Maybe we have a similar expectation today: what do you wish God to do for you? Will you choose to walk with Jesus as we remember events of Holy Week? Don’t miss the moment at the great entrance! Join the procession, discover Jesus and walk with him. Many Christians will walk this journey with Jesus in their hearts this Holy Week. Some of us will be expecting the power of God to transform our lives, and others will just look on the procession from the self-imposed fringes, and remain indifferent. I do not wish to be in that place. A lot of us, this Holy Week, will lay our garments in the path before Jesus, we will strip ourselves of all ungodly thoughts, ungodly talk, our impulses to place them under Jesus. I want to encourage you to join in this spiritual procession, desire for yourself to unite with Jesus! Pray and push away all distractions that weigh us down and lay everything under Jesus. Allow Jesus’ journey to teach you about renewing your love and sacrifice for your family. Show your family how you love them as Jesus loved you, ENOUGH TO GIVE HIS LIFE FOR YOU! The time is now! Walk with Jesus, honor him all the way, in tough moments, as in joyful moments. Walk with Jesus! Amen