Apr 5 - "Triuphant Joy!"

Zech. 9:9-12
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
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What a great day! Victory! No, I am not talking about Michigan State beating UConn last night. Although, Spartan fans get a double-dose of joy today, knowing they are going to the national championship game tomorrow AND celebrating Jesus' glorious arrival into Jerusalem as a king.

Today is a day to celebrate! Imagine you are Jesus' friends and family during His time on earth. You have seen his humble, yet majestic birth; watched Him run through the streets of Nazareth as a boy; perhaps you were with Him at the wedding in Canna, tasting the delicious wine of His first miracle; you have seen Him talking to friends as a small group, or to 5,000 people; you stood in the temple with Him as He argued with the Pharisees. You have been on a wonderful journey. You know in your heart that He is Messiah!

Now, you stand at the gates of Jerusalem, waving palms in His honor, welcoming Him into this great city as a king!

What if you skipped forward, one week from now. Easter Sunday! The glory you feel upon seeing evidence that Jesus, the Risen Lord, is Messiah makes the joy of Palm Sunday seem infinitely small in comparison; He is God incarnate!

Are you one of those who like to skip to the end of a book? Watch the last scene in a movie before you sit down to enjoy the whole thing from start to finish? Celebrating Palm Sunday today, then going right to Easter Sunday is like this. There is much of the story yet to be told in the next six days: the simple meal of the Last Supper, where Jesus breaks bread with His friends; the beautiful scene of Jesus, our servant, washing the feet of His disciples; the quiet pain and pleading of Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane; the false trial; crucifixion; death. All of these things help us see the whole story. Each of the things we experience during Holy Week deliver to us the full flavor, the rich bouquet of Christ's last days with us as a man.

You Spartan fans, is it as fun to watch the first game of the season, perhaps a "win", and then skip to what might be the national championship without watching the ups and downs of the entire season? Is the victory as special?

So, dear friends, I encourage you to experience all that Holy Week has to offer in the coming days. Pray with Jesus at the dinner with His friends; weep with Him at the Garden; mourn His death. Experience the whole story, that the coming greater joy will be much more sweet.