The Heart of Palm Sunday

I have an innate love for traditions. You know, those special things you do only once in a while around the same time every year. One of my favorite traditions growing up was Easter morning. My family would wake up to present, go to church, come home for an Easter egg hunt, and then have a large meal as a family. It was tradition, a special day. 

At a surface level, I understood that Easter was a day of celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, but I mostly associated the day with sunshine, presents, Easter eggs, and tasty ham. 

When Christ called me to follow him as a college freshman, my view of Easter radically changed. My relationship with Jesus gave new meaning to celebrating Easter. No longer was it about the egg hunt or presents, it was about the glory of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Death could not keep Jesus in the grave, because he is the Son of God. It was the heart of Easter celebration. 

As I've grown in my relationship with Christ over these past few years, God has been showing me more and more how I don't understand the heart behind traditions, especially church traditions. I grew up in the church, but I didn't become a disciple of Christ until college, which means that I'm learning like a child about the significance of certain traditions.

Today is Palm Sunday. At a head level, I could tell you that Palm Sunday is in reference to the day a few days prior to Easter, when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and people laid palms on the ground for Jesus to ride over. They also praised Jesus and called them their King. 

But I didn't grasp the significance of this situation or Palm Sunday until reading an article on Desiring God called The Savior's Tears of Sovereign Mercy by John Piper (love that man!). 

The people we calling Jesus their KING! Jesus performed miracles, that displayed his power and sovereignty. He healed lepers, blind men, a woman that bled for twelve years. He fed the 5000, walked on water, and taught with power. And the people recognized his sovereignty. They praised him!  

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!
{Luke 19:38}

And yet these same people crucified him the following week. Jesus was praised and worshipped and seen as sovereign one day and then spat on and crucified the next. But that was part of God's plan to redeem his people. Jesus went to the cross willingly for the people that praised him and later denied him. He died a death he did not deserve to save sinners. And on the third day, he rose again to the praise and glory of God. 

People who didn't fully understand Jesus, praised him and recognized him as being the King, the Son of God, the Messiah. If they wouldn't have praised Jesus, stones would have {Luke 19:40}. That's the power and sovereignty of God and of Jesus. 

In heaven, every day will be like Palm Sunday. Jesus will be praised for eternity by all of the creation.  

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
{Revelation 5:13}

I'm savoring this today. One day, I will get to meet Jesus and praise and worship him in his presence. I'm anxiously awaiting that day.