palm Sunday
prayer
It is a good day to me when You give me a glimpse of myself; Sin is my greatest evil, but You are my greatest good; I have every reason to hate the sin I see in myself, and to not seek praise from other people, for who would try and bring glory to a trash heap? My country, family, and church are worse off because of my sin. Sinners bring judgment in thinking their sins are no big deal, or that God is not angry because of sin. Let me not compare myself to other good people, and think I am good because I am like them. For all good men are not as good or as perfect as You desire, and even their goodness is not consistent, and they do not always do what is holy, nor do they stay good when suffering. Show me how to know when something is evil which I think is right and good, how to know when what is lawful comes from an evil principle, such as desire for reputation or wealth by extortion. Give me grace to remember my weaknesses: how I do not know Your will in Scripture, I do not offer advice according to the wisdom in Your word, I do not practice repentance daily, without which I cannot have a close relationship with You, I speak without keeping in mind Your glory, I am self-centered, not finding joy in You and Your will for me. Let me not find rest too short of Your fountain of life, never touching the eternal spring, never drawing the living water from You. PRAYER FROM “THE VALLEY OF VISION”
passage
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ” And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ' And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ' And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ' And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. Luke 4:1-13
devotional
Palm Sunday is the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem a week before His resurrection. John 12:13 “They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’
‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’
‘Blessed is the king of Israel!’”
The people greeted Jesus with palm branches which symbolize the victory, triumph, and peace that they expected from their Messiah. Jesus entered the city knowing the path before Him would lead to death, but did so humbly out of love and obedience to the Father. Luke 19:41 “As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it.” In the midst of the praise, He knew that some of these same people would betray and crucify Him. His heart broke with the reality of their need for a Savior. The reason we celebrate Palm Sunday is because it is a declaration of victory over sin. It’s a reminder that Christ is King. He overcame death!