Scripture Reading for Sunday
Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44
Devotional Meditation
On November 5, 2021, I suspect many of you went—as I did—to the Braves victory parade. It was like nothing I have experienced. The crowd began gathering early, starting small and growing to a massive size. The excitement was palpable. After what seemed like hours of waiting, the parade began! Braves players and staff came through Cobb County while the crowd wildly cheered them on. After all, there was much to celebrate—Atlanta had won the national title for the first time in years!
Another thing happened that day. Although the prior couple of years had been filled with polarization that stemmed—at least in significant part—from a pandemic and political tension, Atlantans for a brief moment seemed to put aside political, medical, cultural, and other disagreements to celebrate the Braves. The city united to cheer on the beloved Atlanta baseball team.
Stepping back in the past to a crowd that gathered nearly two thousand years ago, their excitement had to be even greater than Atlanta’s was in 2021. At the risk of minimizing the great sport of baseball, they were honoring someone who healed and performed miracles. Though the crowd’s knowledge of Jesus’ full power was not as great as ours is today, they had witnessed His amazing acts. Not without reason did they shout “Hosanna!” and “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Today, we are in an even greater position than the crowd was on that first Palm Sunday. After all, the crowd had only part of the story. They knew of, and praised God for, the miracles they had seen. And they were great miracles, indeed! However, they had yet to see His greatest miracle of all—Jesus’ triumph over death. How blessed we are to know that His death and resurrection have granted us salvation. Thus, we know even more reasons to praise Him than did the crowd that day!
Additionally, as Christians, it is unfortunately easy to allow differing opinions to draw our focus away from Christ. On this Palm Sunday, we have the opportunity, as believers in Christ, to unite in praising Someone far greater than any sports team. Let us strive to put aside our minor disagreements and join in praising our Savior!
This Holy Week and always, let us cry out in praise to our Savior. After all, as He said, if we do not, the stones will cry out.
Prayer
Father, we praise and thank You for Your Son Jesus! Help us today and always to put aside our differences with our fellow believers and to focus on praising Christ, who unites us. Thank You for His perfect life on this earth and His willingness to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Please help us to focus on Him this week—to contemplate His sacrifice and rejoice in His resurrection. We thank You that we know how the story ends—that He has conquered death! We love and praise You. Through Jesus we pray, Amen.
Today’s devotional meditation was written for you by Katie Klimko.
