The hope, joy and sorrow of Palm Sunday is a gift to all of us

April 13 is Palm Sunday, a beatified time kept by galore Christians astir the world. This time commemorates the triumphal introduction of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem immoderate 2,000 years ago.

For Jesus, it was the opening of a melodramatic week that would spot him crucified and aboriginal raised from the dead. This day, Palm Sunday, marks the opening of Holy Week. For those Christians who support Holy Week, we callback the melodramatic events arsenic told successful the Gospels: the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

In the Gospels, we work that Jesus entered Jerusalem successful a procession that indispensable person resembled some a parade and a protest. People lined the mode throwing garments and thenar branches arsenic Jesus entered the beatified city. They shouted "Hosanna!" This means, "Save us!"

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PALM SUNDAY: WHAT DO THE PALMS REPRESENT?

Ancient Jerusalem past was nether Roman occupation, led by a puppet government. People wanted state and hope. They wanted what each radical want: the quality to flourish arsenic the radical God has made america to be. But the subject concern needed radical to beryllium loyal archetypal to the authorities implicit each else.

When radical began to telephone Jesus their king and their Lord, it was a menace to the established order. The hostility connected the archetypal Palm Sunday indispensable person been palpable. Hope and fear, state and might, righteousness and misdeed each mixed together.

Palm Sunday marks the opening of Holy Week. (iStock)

It’s not truthful antithetic today. All astir us, the satellite seems progressively divided against itself. I deliberation radical crossed the governmental spectrum tin hold connected that. Chaos seems to increase. Violence reigns. Where is our peace?

Like those radical of agelong ago, we who travel Jesus mightiness good privation to outcry with fervor, "Hosanna! Save us!" We mightiness similar Jesus to travel successful and cleanable up our mess. But I deliberation Jesus expects america to cleanable up the messiness we person made. We request to crook implicit a caller leaf. This is the precise explanation of repentance.

When we outcry "Hosanna!" contiguous we should not beryllium reasoning that Jesus volition "save us" by fixing the messiness we person made without expecting america to change. Quite the contrary. Fixing the satellite happens 1 beingness astatine a time, starting successful our ain hearts. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

The events of Holy Week amusement america that God loves america much than we tin imagine. Jesus was consenting to dice for us, to suffer, to unfastened the gates of eternal beingness to each who judge successful him. On the cross, helium asked his Father to forgive his executioners. The full communicative — from commencement to decorativeness — is simply a communicative of sacrifice, generosity, forgiveness, mercy, and, supra all, grace.

If you spell to a religion this Sunday, you’ll apt acquisition a collision of 2 moods. Waving palms and singing vigorous hymns, you whitethorn consciousness anticipation and joy. Then proceeding the communicative of Jesus’ suffering and death, you whitethorn consciousness sorrow. I emotion this contrast.

Hope, joy, and sorrow travel unneurotic truthful often successful our world. Read the headlines. Talk to a neighbor. Look around. If we tin marque consciousness of this collision of anticipation and sorrow connected Palm Sunday, we person a bully commencement astatine making consciousness of it each time of our lives.

You see, we humans messiness up beauteous regularly. We request a redeemer. We can’t get retired of our messiness connected our own. And, yes, we besides request to ain up to our failings and beryllium acceptable to amend our lives. This is precisely what Palm Sunday is about.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Jesus enters the chaos of our lives and our world. We beg for salvation. Jesus volition ever perceive us, and helium is acceptable to forgive america our sins. And helium is acceptable to travel with america done life’s challenges.

This won’t marque the problems of the satellite spell distant by magic, but it tin springiness america courageousness to beryllium bearers of grace and mercy successful this world.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM SCOTT GUNN