by Pastor Amy Smith

 

 

Today we celebrate Palm Sunday as we look forward to Easter. At the time of Jesus, this was the day he entered into Jerusalem while the people of Israel were living under the oppression of Rome. They had set their hopes on a Messiah who could deliver them from political domination. Jesus entered Jerusalem to people waving palm branches, which were a symbol of national independence and rebellion against Rome. The people expected a revolt and this swept them up into a frenzy of hope.

 

There are times when we find ourselves caught up in the same frenzy of hope. We must take great caution in these times, because just a few days after the people joyfully shouted Jesus’ praise, they viciously shouted for His death. It seemed to them that He had let them down. They pictured one thing and got another. This drove them to lash out at the One who promised them hope. 

 

The same streets that were lined with cheering crowds later became the blood-stained path upon which Christ dragged the cross. Perhaps beneath His bleeding steps were some dashed remains of the palm branches, the once thriving hopes of His people. In your life, maybe the very things that you have had hope for seem to be the darkest situations. The people trusted God to come through politically and then watched Him not only die, but even be buried! You may have totally given up on a situation, but to have hope again, you cannot look at the palm branches of what you expected God to do; you must look at the cross and what God has planned all along to do! 

 

Perhaps God is not going to move in the way that you picture, but you can have hope again in believing that He will move. The people of Israel saw defeat in the tomb of Jesus, but God knew what He was doing. You can look at the dead places in your life and hope again because God is the Resurrection and the Life. A tomb is just the beginning for Him!