“The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” — John 12:12-13
This year’s Lenten season is almost over? Lent is when we revisit the time Jesus spent in the wilderness — fasting and praying. That’s why Lent is known as a season of preparation.
Following Lent is Palm Sunday. It marks the beginning of another season. This season takes us into what is known as Holy Week, which brings with it a glimmer of hope.
We all need hope, because it is essential to life. And in the Christian faith, hope is not optional; it is essential to our spiritual survival. So as we move into this new season, let us remember to enter with hope in mind.
If we rewind back to Palm Sunday in Jesus’ days, the huge crowd in Jerusalem was looking for a glimmer of hope. Biblical scholars describe this day as a large celebration. As Jesus made his grand entrance, the crowd had been feasting in a Jewish holiday known as the Passover. And Jesus’ arrival did not go unnoticed. He captured the crowd’s attention immediately!
Interestingly enough, Jesus was no stranger to this crowd. As soon as He rode into town on a donkey, the crowd began throwing palm branches and their garments in his pathway to cushion His ride. Some in the crowd saw Jesus as “the Son of David,” while others saw him as a glimmer of hope.
We are just like that crowd from Jerusalem. We, as people in today’s world, are looking for a sense of hope. Some of us are crying out, just like the crowd, “Gentle Jesus, parade by here on this Palm Sunday.” And, “Jesus, do not pass us by; stay and invade the inner-most parts of our souls so that we can find hope.”
We really aren’t any different from the crowd. They wanted a warrior to idolize and place their trust in — and so do we. So we find ourselves putting our hope in our possessions or in people. Usually, things fall apart in our lives when we tend to put our trust in anything but God.
So remember, hope is not just in a distant future. Our hope is always there. And when things are pulling against us, we must hold on to our hope, and don’t let go. For through the death and resurrection of “He who comes in the name of the Lord,” we are privileged to find a glimmer of hope.
Rev. Marion J. Miller is the senior pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church, 1201 Thomas V. Bryant Drive, Jeffersonville, IN. She may be contacted at (812) 283-3747 or via email at wesley1201@sbcglobal.net.
