Palm Sunday

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Proverbs 8:32,33     For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord; but he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death.                          

Isaiah 25:8,9     He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken.  (9)   And it will be said in that day; “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us.  This is the Lor; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”

John 11:25,26     Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection an the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?”

 

As a child, I believed the painted domed ceiling of our church showing Jesus gazing down at us with peace and love, was truly Him. It was at times comforting, and at others, when I knew I had been a brat, it was daunting and scary as I felt there was no place to hide. Even though my parents had not yet caught up with my disobedience, I knew, and knew enough to know that Jesus looking down knew. No place to hide. Those times sitting in the hard wooden pew, increased the squirming much more than normal.

As I am writing this, we are all dealing with the beast named COVID-19. This is a new and different experience we have ever dealt with, and it can be scary. Yet, I am not nervous of this beast. I know Jesus defeated death, and although I will practice precautions, and not expose myself or others unduly, I know that Jesus has me. He has already died so I can live.

But today is Palm Sunday. And I remember as a kid being filled with horror at the atrocities committed against the Savior. I realize that I would have been just as uncomfortable knowing of these punishments on anyone. But as I got older and learned more about the Savior and discovered, unlike me, He was sinless; and underwent these horrific beatings, humiliation, agony and death for me, I could only weep. Along with the nausea I get learning of abuse and violence, every time I thought of His last meal, and the subsequent events of that night, I was amazed He willingly did this, and knew I was not ever going to be worth His suffering and death. I am always so humbled and amazed, and JOYFUL that He did. He suffered this: AND NOW I AM OVERJOYED HE SITS WITH HIS FATHER, AND BECAUSE OF HIM, I HAVE BEEN FREED!

Lord, I have been so endowed with a multitude of blessings and I am so thankful. I have good health, vision, hearing, and appreciate the nature and experiences You have blessed me to have over the years, and I can be awed by Your touch in the world. It is so sobering to me always, to be in this week from Palm Sunday to Easter.

You suffered, died, were buried, and then ROSE and You defeated death for all of us who believe You are the Savior, and we call You Lord and follow You. We may stumble, mess up, fail often, but we have the truth that holding onto You is our assurance for life eternal.

Jesus, thanks be to You. I am free—relieved, have rest, know I am blessed, and have assurance in the future. So even with this crazy, vicious virus, I am not afraid. I know You have a plan, and I am Yours. And because of the events from Palm Sunday through the suffering, and death and resurrection, I know You have this. The greatest blessing of all is You–You defeated death in all its forms for us.

Praise to Jesus for His death and rising and life sitting at His Father’s side. Thank You from all of ‘mybellaviews.’