into Jerusalem

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Today's passage portrays Jesus' entrance to Jerusalem, which we celebrate on Palm Sunday. John connects the recent sign (or miracle) of raising Lazarus from the dead with the crowds welcoming Jesus as their king. It seems Jesus is self-consciously fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy about the promised king by riding a colt into the city. As expected, the religious leaders, who have been worried about Jesus for some time now, are not happy with this open display of support for him as Israel's Messiah.

As usual, the disciples don't totally understand what's going on, but they will after Christ's death and resurrection. How can we get ready to welcome Jesus as our king?

God bless,
Sam

John 12:12-19

¹²The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!” ¹⁴Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: ¹⁵“Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

¹⁶His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. ¹⁷So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. ¹⁸It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him. ¹⁹The Pharisees then said to one another, “You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”

condemened

Good morning brothers and sisters,
A quick reminder that tonight at 6:15 we have a potluck supper and worship to remember Jesus' last supper with his disciples. If you have a chance, please bring a plastic basin and towel. I'm looking forward to the evening and getting into this powerful piece of Jesus' story.

In our reading for today we're a little further ahead of the story. Pilate tries to have Jesus released for the Passover, but the religious leaders convince the crowd to have him crucified instead. As we let this story sink into us we realize how deep God's love for us is.

God bless,
Sam

Matthew 27:15-31

15Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted.16At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. 17So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. 19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.” 20Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. 21The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” 23Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”


24So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.


27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.