It must have been one heck of a Monday. Can you imagine? The hope, the anticipation of what was yet to come?
Yesterday was Palm Sunday, when we celebrate Jesus entering Jerusalem and the people laying palm branches down for the donkey to walk on as Jesus entered the city saying, “Hosanna, Hosanna!” meaning, “Save Us Now!”
They waited in anticipation. Can you relate to that feeling? Maybe it was your baby’s due date approaching, a friend visiting, or your husband returning from deployment…you laid out the red carpet in anticipation of what was to come.
Anticipation stems from hope, and hope is powerful.
Has your “now” ever looked different than what you expected? Did you feel differently about your baby once all of the hormones kicked in, when things were more difficult than you expected? Did the visit get delayed?
Jesus was indeed coming in triumphal entry to Jerusalem to save His people whom He dearly loved, but it didn’t happen exactly as the people anticipated.
What the people anticipated was that Jesus would be the king coming to rule their land, but He was actually a King coming to rule their hearts. It was more than they could have expected, better than they could have hoped, but it came about differently.
When life comes our way, turning out differently than we may expect, can we hold it loosely enough that we can still choose to trust that God has a plan? Or will we pick up our palm branches and go home?
The hope of eternity is for those of us who stay, but at times following our King may not be the easy way. It certainly wouldn’t have been an easy week for those holding the palm branches and laying down their coats.
When things end up shaking out different than you anticipate, will you stay? Will you hold it in your hands and ask, “God, what is this?” “What is happening?” “What is this truth You want me to know?”
For those who continued to see Jesus as King, even when in the upcoming days He would not have looked like one, and definitely not be treated as one, God had salvation.
It makes me think of how Jesus is treated in this modern day. Jesus is not treated as King. Many of us, I would even say most of us, have packed up our palm branches of praise and built our own kingdoms out of them.
Will you choose to stay and praise God as King even when society around you isn’t treating Him as such?
I believe for those of us who choose to stay, just wait a week. God has good things ahead.
