SIGNIFICANCE BEHIND THE PALMS OF PALM SUNDAY

Here's some fun for the day…...

TRIVIA:  
What is the only phase of the moon that can produce a solar eclipse? 

BRAIN TEASER:
There are 10 people in a house.  Everyone wants to make a handshake with only the people that are shorter than them.   Everyone in the room is a different height.  How many hand shakes will be made?

JOKE:
Q:  What is the best way to study the Bible?
A:  You Luke into it.

HUMOROUS QUOTE:
"One time I went to a drive-in movie in a cab.   Cost me 95 dollars" ( Steven Wright)

COMIC FUN

TRICIA'S TWEET OF THE DAY:

God had created a new day, and He created it so that we could enjoy it.   Find the blessings in each day.  

THE PALMS OF PALM SUNDAY

I've been reading John Ortberg's "Who Is This Man", a book that looks into the impact of Jesus on history and our lives.   On the day after Jesus' death, it probably looked like whatever small mark he left on the world would rapidly disappear.  Instead, His impact on human history is unparalleled   The other morning I was reading and came across an interesting tidbit about the meaning and origin behind the palms of Palm Sunday.   Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter that commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem for the week of Passover.

Ortberg writes about how years before Jesus' birth, Israel's great temple had been desecrated by foreign powers.   Under the Maccabees, Israel won a measure of freedom, which included control of the temple.  Palm branches were used for its rededication.

As a result, palms became a symbol of Jewish nationalism.  During two major wars against Rome, Israelite rebels illegally minted coins and put palms on them.  The palm branch was a political symbol like the elephant or donkey is for the Republican/Democratic parties and like Uncle Sam is for America.   Waving a palm branch in front of Rome was like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

It was a declaration of war.  The triumphal entry was, for the crowds, a military statement.  The gospel of John indicates this by the shouts of the crowd.  They begin quoting Psalm 118: 'Hosanna!' (Lord, save us!)  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"  In Psalm 118, the next line is "From the house of the Lord we bless you."  That is not what the crowds say.  

What they say is, "Blessed is the king of Israel!"  In other words, "Blessed is the one who is going to overthrow Pilate, Herod and Caesar."   Those are fighting words.  But Jesus would not fight.   The hosannas would stop abruptly.   The title "King of Israel" hung ominously over Jesus from His birth, as it would over His death.   The idea that He was a king would confuse everyone.   Especially kings.  

The palm branch later became a symbol of Christian martyrs and their spiritual triumph over death.   

Many in the crowd cheering for Jesus on that day would bow to political pressure and desert Him in just a few days.   Let Palm Sunday be a reminder to us to guard our hearts against worldly pressures that take our focus away from Jesus, our true King and leader.  
Following Jesus is not a pathway to an easy life but a call to do difficult things if we are to live in His image.

As we begin Easter week, take a moment each day to reflect on God's ultimate sacrifice of sending His Son to take on our burden of sin.   

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TRIVIA:  
New Moon

BRAIN TEASER ANSWER
Zero.  A tall person wants to shake hands with a shorter person, but the shorter person doesn't want to shake hands with him.


Until next time…...