April 9 Devotion

Palm Sunday Morning

Lectionary Reading: John 12: 12-16

The text notes in my Life Application Bible says, "Jesus began his last week on earth by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey under a canopy of palm branches, with crowds hailing him as their king. To announce that he was indeed the Messiah, Jesus chose a time when all of Israel would be gathered at Jerusalem, a place where huge crowds could see him, and a way of proclaiming his mission that was unmistakable. On Palm Sunday we celebrate Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. The people who were praising God for giving them a king had the wrong idea about Jesus. They were sure he would be a national leader who would restore their nation to its former glory, and thus they were deaf to the words of their prophets and blind to Jesus' real mission."

People then didn't understand God's Plan. When their idea of what God would do didn't fit with their ideas, they rejected Jesus. Don't we do the same thing? When God's plan is slow to unfold, is inconvenient, or doesn't fit with our idea of the perfect answer to our problem, do we reject God's Plan instead of waiting patiently for God to surprise us with an answer we could never have conceived in our wildest dreams!

"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him" 1Cor 2: 9

Prayer: Lord, help me to have the patience to let you surprise and delight me with your plans for my life. Give me the wisdom to recognize your plan, the faith to follow where you lead me, and the peace that comes from following you. In Christ's name I pray. Amen

Margaret Williams

Palm Sunday Evening

On Palm Sunday morning, it was Jesus, arriving in the city of Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, as the people shouted "Hosanna". The crowds were excited about the triumphant entry of the Expected One, their leader, promised by the prophets, coming to fulfill their words of old.

Later that day, Jesus went to the temple to cleanse it of the moneychangers, to rid God's house of prayer, of the evil taking place there. Jesus also healed all those that came to him that day, who were blind and lame, to rid those who were suffering of their infirmities.

And through it all, Jesus remained humble.

Humility - caring more about others and their needs, than about one's self, one's desires and needs. That is one tough act for us to follow. Our culture rewards those who achieve the most, earn the most, accumulate the most. They must be the best. We know that because they are the most popular, the most prosperous, the winners of our day.

But in Philippians 2:7-11, we are reminded that Jesus gave up everything. He became human, set aside the glory of his deity, was humble, and obeyed God, even to his death, always caring for others and their needs, no matter what. Our leader, our inspiration, our example is Jesus Christ.

Today, we need an attitude adjustment, if we truly love God and want to follow God's way. It's not about me. It's about being humble, caring about those in need and doing something about it. That's the way it was with Jesus - no matter what.

Rev. Suzanne Ellis