But again may I say, the people waved palm branches before Jesus as He entered Jerusalem.
"So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out, 'Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!'" (John 12:13).
Never in my life had I put together two and two: palm branches come from palm trees. Now obviously I have not only seen pictures of palm trees, but had even seen them in real life before coming to Spain. I just never imagined these long, heavy, in my mind "Hawaiian" tree branches as the beckoning welcome of my Savior days before His death on the cross. Now I know that palm trees exist in the Mediterranean...because I moved here. Now my mental image of Jesus' entry can be a bit more biblical because of my experience.
Our pastor this Sunday, "Domingo de Ramos," spoke on Jesus' Jerusalem entry on a donkey - a fulfillment of prophecy and a sign of peace and justice. He shared the Hebrew significance of the word "Hosanna," meaning "Please save us." The people wanted a military king, an earthly salvation, but God had something with far greater repercussions in plan.
As I think about Easter week, I want their plea to be more of my own, but in a different sense than a cry for physical deliverance. Maybe even palm trees will carry a different significance for me in the future - at least I can hope. Perhaps they will point me towards the cross with a prayer.
"Lord, please save me; continue this process that you have begun. I know that Your plan and Your thoughts far exceed my own - I am shortsighted. Help me to share the hope that I've been given in Jesus so that others might also partake in true life through the One who gave it all."
Never in my life had I put together two and two: palm branches come from palm trees. Now obviously I have not only seen pictures of palm trees, but had even seen them in real life before coming to Spain. I just never imagined these long, heavy, in my mind "Hawaiian" tree branches as the beckoning welcome of my Savior days before His death on the cross. Now I know that palm trees exist in the Mediterranean...because I moved here. Now my mental image of Jesus' entry can be a bit more biblical because of my experience.
Our pastor this Sunday, "Domingo de Ramos," spoke on Jesus' Jerusalem entry on a donkey - a fulfillment of prophecy and a sign of peace and justice. He shared the Hebrew significance of the word "Hosanna," meaning "Please save us." The people wanted a military king, an earthly salvation, but God had something with far greater repercussions in plan.
As I think about Easter week, I want their plea to be more of my own, but in a different sense than a cry for physical deliverance. Maybe even palm trees will carry a different significance for me in the future - at least I can hope. Perhaps they will point me towards the cross with a prayer.
"Lord, please save me; continue this process that you have begun. I know that Your plan and Your thoughts far exceed my own - I am shortsighted. Help me to share the hope that I've been given in Jesus so that others might also partake in true life through the One who gave it all."
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