Celebrate!

Posted on Mar 23, 2021 in Letters from Pastor Mike |

Celebrate!

 

Dear Friends:

Isn’t this turning out to be an exciting week?  Monday, lumber was delivered for the walls of our new building!  Thursday, men with hammers and saws are supposed to start working and Sunday we will welcome Cameron Reed to our church staff!   Spring is in the air; Easter is two weeks away and Covid deaths continue to decline.  We certainly have a lot to celebrate! 

This Sunday we will begin the celebration of Passion Week.  That was the final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  It is referred to as Passion Week because during that time Jesus, our Messiah, displayed His passion for us by willingly suffering on our behalf culminating with His death on the cross.  Some of His most poignant teaching to his disciples and to us occurred during this very brief and emotional time.  However, it all started with a celebration!   On that first day of that week, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a borrowed donkey’s colt, one that had never been ridden before. The disciples spread their cloaks on the donkey for Jesus to sit on, and the multitudes came out to welcome Him, laying their cloaks and the branches of palm trees out on the road ahead of Him. The people shouted, cheered and praised Him as the “King who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 19:38).
 
Jesus’ purpose in riding into Jerusalem that way was to openly declare to the people of Israel that He is their Messiah and King in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 (NLT):
                                                   “Rejoice, O people of Zion!
                                                    Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
                                                    Look, your king is coming to you.
                                                    He is righteous and victorious, 
                                                    yet he is humble, riding on a donkey
                                                    – riding on a donkey’s colt.”                 
                                                                 

The people of the city hailed Him as a conquering King.  They praised Him with many “hosannas” and acknowledged His right to rule through the line of David.  The meaning of the Hebrew word, hosanna, is “save us, we pray!”  The streets of Jerusalem, the royal city, were open to Him and He ascended to His palace, the temple.  Unlike other occasions, He received the worship and praise of the people. No longer does He tell His disciples to be quiet about Him but to shout His praises and worship Him openly.  It was a great celebration! 

That is the type of celebrating spirit we should bring with us to worship this Sunday!  Our King has come to save us!  He did not come as a war hero to look down on us, but humble and lowly as one of us.  Let our shouts of Hosanna! Hosanna! (Save us, we pray!) echo across St. Simons as we come into His royal presence this Lord’s Day! If Jesus has made His triumphal entry into your heart, let the world see the true King, living and reigning on His throne by celebrating!

Only by Grace!

Pastor Mike

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