Palm Sunday - March 16

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Palm Sunday—Entry into Jerusalem

 

Also known as Passion Sunday, this Sunday before Easter remembers Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem near the end of a public ministry spent almost entirely outside Israel’s capital city.

 

When Jesus entered the city with his entourage, people laid palm branches on the road before him and greeted him as the long-awaited Messiah, shouting, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

 

Their celebrating didn’t last long. As they heard his teachings and saw his behavior, both religious leaders and people on the streets turned against Jesus. Within days, the adoring crowds were shouting, “Crucify him!”

Each Gospel relates the next few days differently, but the common elements are:

 

Jesus entered Jerusalem and began to teach the people about the Kingdom of God and the leaders about their hypocrisy and God’s coming judgment; he threw money-changers out of the Temple and sparked a growing conspiracy against him; he shared a “last supper” with his friends; he was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, one of his key disciples; and, after being arrested, was handed over to the Roman authorities for execution as an enemy of Caesar.

Palm Sunday worship typically begins with a Procession of Palms and then moves on to chronicle the rest of the week with a somber reading of the Passion Gospel (this year Luke 23.1-49), in which the rejection, suffering and death of Jesus are on full display and Christians are reminded that their faith originates in Jesus’ humble submission to death on a cross. Worship typically ends in silence, and the stage is set for Holy Week.

 

 

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In the spirit of the Easter season, I would like to apologize to all that I have offended with my unkind words. I apologize. Sometimes I get carried away and I forget how to act like a true Christian.

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Palm Sunday is the day we remember the "triumphal entry" of Jesus into Jerusalem, exactly one week before His resurrection (Matthew 21:1-11). Some 450-500 years earlier, the Prophet Zechariah had prophesied, "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). Matthew 21:7-9 records the fulfillment of that prophecy: "They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" This event took place on the Sunday before Jesus' crucifixion.

 

In remembrance of this event, we celebrate Palm Sunday. It is referred to as "Palm Sunday" because of the palm branches that were laid on the road as Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday was the fulfillment of the Prophet Daniel's "seventy sevens" prophecy - "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble" (Daniel 9:25). John 1:11 tells us, "He (Jesus) came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him." The same crowds that were crying out "Hosanna" were crying out "crucify Him" five days later (Matthew 27:22-23).

 

 

Please Accept My Apologies

 

[Guest Guest AFC]

I have been a fool and I am sorry. Sometimes I drink a little more than I should and I get a little carried away.

 

“May the LORD bless you and keep you; May the LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; May the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”

[Guest AFC]

I have recently had my medications changed! I feel less hatred now and don't get as upset as in the past.

 

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

James 1:5 (NIV)

 

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Stations of the Cross

The Stations themselves are usually a series of 14 pictures or sculptures depicting the following scenes:

 

1. Jesus is condemned to death

2. Jesus receives the cross

3. The first fall

4. Jesus meets His Mother

5. Simon of Cyrene carries the cross

6. Veronica wipes Jesus' face with her veil

7. The second fall

8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

9. The third fall

10. Jesus is stripped of His garments

11. Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross

12. Jesus dies on the cross

13. Jesus' body removed from the cross (Pieta)

14. Jesus is laid in the tomb

 

Prayer of the Stations of the Cross is connected with a plenary indulgence according to the normal conditions of the Church. To achieve the indulgence, the person praying must walk from station to station, meditating on the Passion. There is no requirement that this meditation be of a certain duration, use specific prayers, or indeed, that the meditation correspond to the stations that are depicted. A validly erected set of the Stations of the Cross should be blessed by a Franciscan, and should include a wooden cross at each station. (Images are optional.) The same indulgence is available to those unable to visit the stations by meditating for 30 minutes on the Passion.

 

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PALM SUNDAY

The week we now call Holy Week, started with Palm Sunday. Why was this week so important that three of the gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) devote a full third of their contents to reporting this week, and The Fourth (John) dedicates its entire last half? Jerusalem, which had a normal population of about 50,000 at this time, had at least tripled in size because of the influx of pilgrims celebrating the Jewish

holiday Passover. Early Sunday morning Jesus made his baldly public entry into the city. This was the end of all privacy and safety, and

the beginning of what would be an inevitable collision course with the religious and political authorities. Crowds began to gather to see the

rabbi from Galilee. The procession began accompanied by shouting and singing from the throngs as they threw down their garments on the

pathway to cushion his ride - an Oriental custom still observed on occasions - as well as palm fronds, the symbol of triumph. The Old

Testament prophet Zechariah had foretold the arrival of the Messianic king in Jerusalem via the humble conveyance of a colt. Here the crowd hailed Jesus as "the son of David", a loaded name used at a loaded time. The priestly establishment was understandably disturbed, as the palm was the national emblem of an independent Palestine. These were Jewish flags. What if Jesus should claim to be the heir of King David? (Recent archiological excavations have turned up Roman coins, which have the head of Tiberias (idolatrous to the Jewish subjects) but overstamped with a palm.)

 

The "conspiracy" against Jesus had been building for at least 3 years, and the sources record seven instances of official plotting against

him, two efforts at arrest, and three assassination attempts before this time. This intrigue was no spur of the moment idea. A formal

decision to arrest Jesus had in fact been made several months earlier. The Jewish religious officials were afraid that if Jesus were to

continue performing his signs, he would win over the people and the Romans would come in and destroy the Temple and nation. According to legal custom at that time, a court crier had to announce publicly or post an official "wanted" handbill in the larger towns of Judea about

forty days prior to a trial. Small wonder that there was some debate over whether Jesus would dare appear in Jerusalem for the next

Passover. This discussion ended abruptly on Palm Sunday.

 

There were political reasons for dealing with Jesus. There had been a dozen uprisings in Palestine in the previous 100 years, most of them

subdued by Roman force. Another Messianic rebellion under Jesus would only shatter the precarious balance of authority, break Rome's

patience, and might lead to direct occupation by Roman legions.

 

Religiously, Jesus was a dangerous item. The people were hailing the Teacher from Galilee as something more than a man, and Jesus was not denying or blunting this blasphemous adulation. Personally, the Pharisees had been bested by Jesus in public debate, being called

vipers, whitewashed tombs, and devourers of widow's houses. Humiliated, they would be only too happy to conspire with the scribes,

elders, and chief priests. There were economic motives for opposing Jesus as well. Seeing the commercialization of the Temple, Jesus had

driven the dealers and animals out, as well as turning over the tables of the moneychangers causing a major disruption in business. There

were many reasons for dealing with Jesus.

 

Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel.

King Solomon - Proverbs 11:17

[Guest AFC]

I am truly sorry for all the pain I have caused. I just miss my friend GEO, who always has a high hard one for me to suck, I am of course talking about the mixed drink. He gives me warm kisses all over, and we havent been together in over a week. I miss his sweet touch. I am sure when GEO gives me the high hard one next, I will be back to being myself, all happy and cheery!! Thanks to everyone, and once again, apologies to all.

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Palm Sunday - March 16th, 2008

Hosanna … Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna! (Mt 21:9) Palm Sunday is a joyful, joyous day of celebration and confusion. “Who is this?” the crowds were saying. “Who is this, who comes on a lowly donkey, yet causes people to shout ‘Hosanna!’ and wave branches of palms in delight?”

 

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Mt 21:10-11)

 

“Who is this, who heals and comforts and challenges us to serve God and each other?”“Who is this, who welcomes the rejected and consoles the weary?”“Who is this, who calls me and gives my life hope and meaning?” We know what the week ahead will mean for Jesus and for us. We know that there will be denial, betrayal and desertion by those who followed and those who loved him. Yet we also know that hope is coming, hope is ours, and nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Loving God, on this day of palms and rejoicing, we shout, we cheer, we rejoice that you have come to us and shared our common lot. Be with us as we rejoice and sing your name. Be with us as we ‘praise you on the earth now, joining with Creation and calling all the nations to your praise.’ Thanks be and bless your Holy Name. Amen.

 

“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.”