Palm Sunday – April 2, 2023

Palm Sunday – April 2, 2023

PalmA23.  Isaiah 50:4-7.    The Lord chose Isaiah to announce to the Hebrews what he knew that they needed to hear, but they did not want to hear it.  So the Hebrews physically attacked Isaiah.  “I gave my back to those who beat me.” “My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.”  However, that did not stop Isaiah from doing what the Lord wanted of him.  Isaiah prefigures or shows in advance what Jesus was to encounter.

Matthew 26:14–27:66.  In order to resurrect Lazarus, Jesus had returned to Bethany, which was near Jerusalem, realizing quite clearly that he was in fact delivering himself into the hands of the Jewish authorities who were seeking to kill him.  With the miracle of resurrecting Lazarus, “many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him.” (John 11:45)  Seeing the increasing popularity of Jesus made the Jewish authorities even more resolute to kill Jesus.  By his humble yet glorious entry on a donkey into Jerusalem, Jesus was even further offering himself up to be sacrificed on the cross.  In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said, “My soul is sorrowful even to death,” by which I understand that he meant that his fear at the revulsion of his anticipated suffering seemed to be enough to kill him.  Nonetheless, he said, “My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your will be done!”  He also said, “But all this has come to pass that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled.”  He surrendered himself in an obedience to his Father’s Will that came out of love.

Philippians 2:6-11.  “He humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  God entered into humanity to offer himself up as a sacrifice so to redeem us from our sins.  How magnificent is the love of Jesus for us!  When we look at the crucifix, we are in awe of how he has and does love us.  May the glorious, heavenly Jesus be the Lord of our lives.