Go Down This Road With Me?
Some musings led me to find this prompt. Some events also led me to try even though I know it will be hard.
If you were to revisit that first Palm Sunday, tell me what do you see?
I am extending to up to that time He was hung on the cross.
I opened my eyes slowly. There was a commotion outside. I got up immediately to see what the fuss is all about. There I see in the far part of the entrance to the city, people are flocking in to the road. They were spreading their robes on the road (Matt. 21:8-9) and a lot were cutting branches of the trees and spreading it on the road.
I ran towards where I saw them making way through their robes. Who were they doing this for and what for? As I drew closer, I saw the preaching man, they called Him Jesus. I watched Him.
Then I was startled when the people started shouting: Hosanna to the Son of David!
It was a long screaming. Familiar to my ears but I was taking in everything that is happening. What is happening?
The commotion attracted the people of the city of Jerusalem. They were curious as well. The city people started asking questions and the crowd following the Christ was saying who He is : This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee!
Then it felt tense when He passed by the temple. Next thing I knew, tables were turned, chickens were clacking in panic, doves started to be freed from their cages, coins everywhere. That was intense, I say. I did not want to go there anymore and be in the know so I carried on with my day. Interesting turn of events in the city of Jerusalem.
But as I started to walk away, the scene in front of me started to blur. Like lines on a TV having a bad reception. Then I see before me a different scene:
The Man on donkey and the colt days back now had His hands tied. Escorting Him were soldiers, the commander, temple police and two of His disciples were following not too far behind - Peter and someone else. I heard Peter's first denial. It sent shivers down my spine. Oh boy! He is going to do it! And then I heard a slap then they moved Jesus to another priest. My eyes follow where they bring Jesus. Then the rooster crowed. I slowly looked at where Peter was standing warming himself up. Just as predicted!
Pilate just came back to the group of people who handed Jesus over and he admitted he cannot find fault in Christ. He still followed the crowd wishes to release, as a passover trade according to their customs, Barabbas instead of Jesus.
And then the flogging starts. It was heartbreaking.
There was so much anger.
There was this intense feeling of the need to hit the Man while He was being mocked. Bruised and all with the thorns on His head dripping down blood, they placed a robe on Him and took turns to come up to Him. say "Hail, King of the Jews" and then give Him a slap in the face.
They took turns.
This Pilate guy. He is quite a character, I see. He went back to the temple police and showed them Jesus already beaten up.
The temple police shouted "Crucify! Crucify!" But Pilate would not want to do anything with Him. He said this to the people but Pilate got scared. Their reason was that Jesus was causing commotion.
First, he got scared that this man might be Who they said He said He is.
Second, he got scared because the people are angry and they were saying something about loyalty to Caesar!
To compensate for both fears, he re-presented Christ to the crowd and said, "Here is your king!" and had the crowd confirm what they want to do with their King.
-TO DEATH
There was so much anger at that moment coming from the crowd. As Jesus badly beaten and blooded, started to carry His cross to Golgotha. People followed Him some crying others continuing to mock Him even after He was hung there.
There was so much hatred. So much contempt and disdain towards Christ. Like they never saw His miracles.
Yet He said..
'Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing....... ' Luke 23:34 https://my.bible.com/bible/72/LUK.23.34
Bruised.
Maligned.
Beaten.
Mocked.
Yet he looks up from His bloody brow sees the man's struggle against themselves. And asked the Father to forgive them because they do not know what they are doing.
If I was there, for real, I would go.. "What?" in disbelief.
To date that was the weirdest statement. Because to me it seemed that they do know what they are doing. It's like seeing someone get bullied and not putting the responsibility on the bully because he is not himself.
But maybe it was so. Maybe up to this time we have that tendency to act out and not entirely know that what we are doing is not aligned to God's ways or in another scope, what we are doing is hurting US actually.
YET this is love.
He forgave and forgives. Because chances are, we do not know what we are doing.
If you were to revisit that first Palm Sunday (and extending that to when He was crucified), tell me what do you see?
I see His love.
'“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. ' John 3:16 https://my.bible.com/bible/72/JHN.3.16
I see people in need of His love.
I see the invitation: everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life
The question is.. are you ready to believe (entrust) your life to Him?
I have been searching for an Easter or Holy Week related prompt. Not that the stories in the Bible is not enough, it is just that IT IS ACTUALLY enough it is just too often told (more like yearly) that we know the story and no longer revisit it with fresh eyes.
But searching for prompts proved to be very hard. Hahaha. I found prompts like:
What is TRUTH?
Write an outline of a sermon about PETER's denial
Resurrection gives us the chance to....
My mind went on a whirlwind. I don't want to write heavy readables it ain't me. I can do those but maybe I would need guidance of a discipler or mentor. Or I might end up speaking things that may not be understandable.
Taking the difficulty level to kid level I went for Kids' writing prompts for Easter. Trust me they still sound heavy haha. There was one that caught my attention : If you were to revisit that first Palm Sunday, tell me what do you see?
It caught my attention but I cannot find myself to write any. Until this very minute.
What is your story?
© Pichi28 | #ClubBrokeBCH
All Original Content
Unless specified otherwise...
References:
https://my.bible.com/bible/72/MAT.21.7-9
https://my.bible.com/bible/72/MAT.21.7-8
I always had goosebumps remembering what Jesus did for us..