In the Catholic faith some still do know Lent and fast a few day, instead of the forty days of our childhood.
For all Christians the coming days should be days of reflection. It should be a time where people think about the moral and spiritual effect of forgiveness and reconciliation with God.
In the old times offers where brought to God and in certain Christian denomination time was also taken to bring offers in those forty days leading up to Easter Sunday. But no human or animal sacrifices are required or requested by God: it is sufficient that his Son died once and for all on the wooden stake. It is not necessary for us to kill anyone or anything in order to please God.
Palm Sunday will be, for many Christians, the beginning of what they consider the holiest week of the year.
After the ministry of Christ Jesus in and around Perea and after the mother of Zebedee asked Jesus to grant her sons a place next to him in his Kingdom, Jesus had told her that it was not up to him to grant a place on his right or left, but that those places belong to his Father.
From Jericho Jesus approached Jerusalem, they came to Beit-Pagei (or Bethphage) on the mount of olives. Jeshua sent two talmidim with instructions to go into the village ahead of them and to bring him the donkey with its colt they found there. Jesus in order to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet went riding humbly on a donkey, and on a colt, the offspring of a beast of burden.“20 then the mother of Zebedee’s children came to him with her sons, worshiping and desiring a certain thing from him. 21 and he said to her, what do you desire? she said to him, grant that these my two sons may sit in your kingdom, the one on your right hand and the other on the left. 22 but jesus answered and said, you do not know what you ask. are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? they said to him, we are able. 23 and he said to them, you shall indeed drink of my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but to those for whom it has been prepared by my father.” (Matthew 20:20-23 MKJV)
Palm Sunday gets its name from the next event, when Jesus enter the district not on foot – his usual means of transport – but on the back of a donkey. A very great multitude spread their garments in the path; while others cut branches from trees and spread them on the road. There were multitudes that went before, and that followed him, who cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord Jehovah; Hosanna in the highest.“1 and when they drew near Jerusalem (Jerushalayim), and had come to Bethphage, to the mount of olives, then jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, go into the village across from you. and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 and if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, the lord has need of them, and immediately he will send them. 4 all this was done so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your king comes to you, meek, and sitting on an ass, even a colt the foal of an ass.” (Matthew 21:1-5 MKJV)
Statue of Christ Riding on the Ass About 1480 Southern Germany (possibly Ulm) Limewood and pine, painted and gilded This popular type of sculpture, known as a \'Palmesel\' or \'Palm Donkey\', represented Christ during religious services around Easter. On Palm Sunday it was drawn through the streets to commemmorate his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Bequeathed by capt. H.B. Murray (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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| English: Description: Left Apsis: Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Fresco in the Parish Church of Zirl, Austria. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
“8 and a very great crowd spread their garments in the way. others cut down branches from the trees and spread them in the way. 9 and the crowds who went before, and those who followed, cried out, saying, Hosanna to the son of David! blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord! Hosanna in the highest! 10 and when he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, who is this? 11 and the crowd said, this is jesus the prophet, from Nazareth of Galilee. 12 and jesus went into the temple of god and cast out all those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of those who sold doves.” (Matthew 21:8-12 MKJV)
So before Jesus entered the house of God, the holy temple, he was welcomed as a king. But soon his position became questioned by the chief priests.
“23 and when he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, by what authority do you do these things? and who gave you this authority? 24 and jesus answered and said to them, I will also ask you one thing; which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 the baptism of John, where was it from? from heaven or from men? and they reasoned within themselves, saying, if we shall say, from heaven, he will say to us, why then did you not believe him? 26 but if we shall say from men, we fear the people; for all consider John as a prophet. 27 and they answered jesus and said, we cannot tell. and he said to them, neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (Matthew 21:23-27 MKJV)
We do not know the judgement of Jehovah. (Jeremiah 8:7) and like in Jesus time today many so called wise man and theologians have turned away from the word of Jehovah; and what wisdom is in them? (Jeremiah 8:9) The law of truth was in Jesus his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips.His words were written down by his talmidim and it are those gospels from those disciples we should also take at heart.
Many Christians have like the Pharisees, priests and people in Jesus's time departed from the way; and have caused many to stumble at the law. (Malachi 2:8)
“28 and even as they did not think fit to have god in their knowledge, god gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do the things not right, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; being full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, evil habits, becoming whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of god, insolent, proud, braggarts, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, perfidious, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous order of god, that those practicing such things are worthy of death, not only do them, but have pleasure in those practicing them.” (Romans 1:28-32 MKJV)
Many did forget who is really King and who is really God. Many made themselves several gods and several kings. Others say they have one god and one king but who is thee gods, God the Father, god the son and God the Holy Spirit. they forget that God can not be tempted and can not die. Because the man of flesh and blood who entered the gates of Jerusalem as a king seated on a donkey, was Jeshua, who had been tempted many times and who was soon going to be tortured until death.
The disciples of Christ noticed how there were many controversies in the Temple Court over Jesus’ authority. On Tuesday of Holy Week, Jesus presents three extended parables showing God’s judgement on the leaders for not encouraging the people to accept Jesus’ invitation to the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 21:28–22:14). This is followed by a series of four interactions as the religious leaders try to trap Jesus, who in turn reveals his true identity as the Son of God (Matthew 22:15–46).
We may look at king Christ, the one who has received the keys of the Kingdom from his Father until he will return the Kingdom back to the most High.
Do we want to accept that ruler and take him for what he really was and is? Or do we want to stay blind and fill in our own worldly idea of a kingdom and a king?
Are we willing to accept that this man, send from God, a prophet and messenger from God, was loving his Father so much that he was willing to obey Him even into death? And that after he died he was made higher by his Father to become mediator between God and man, being the high-priest seated in the heaven at the right hand of God. His throne is called the “throne of grace” which believers can approach with confidence through faith in the once-for-all sacrifice Jesus made on the stake. We are no longer limited to worshipping God in the earthly tabernacle (temple), but we can worship Him through the spiritual tabernacle of our bodies accessing the heavenly tabernacle in heaven.
And these coming days we can remember how Jesus in the upperroom and in the garden of olives said praise to his Father. How he intensely prayed to the most High.
It is in these coming days that we do remember how Jesus came together with his disciples to have a meal of remembrance in honour of what God had given unto the world and for remembering the New Covenant sealed by Jesus his death.
Through Christ, we can now serve our God through our faith in Jesus Christ the Messiah and by proclaiming our hope in the coming Kingdom. We know that it is thanks to God that the offer of Jeshua, Jesus Christ we are saved and that he has called us and made us into a kingdom of priests under the new and eternal covenant.
Do we want our ears tickled and hold fast on false teachings and on Easter traditions of the world? Or are we willing to take this time in consideration to think about the role the Jew Jeshua (Jesus Christ) played?
