By this time the choirs at the church where I grew up had practiced the Palm Sunday anthem to perfection. Christian Gregor’s “Hosanna” was always a crowd pleaser, and would there ever be a crowd. It was sort of a build up to the Easter Service the next week which would pack the house. It wasn’t until I was serving my own church that I realized the peculiar pattern of attendance during Holy Week. Between the highs of Palm Sunday and Easter came the plunge of Good Friday.

Psychologically I understand that. Palm Sunday seems pretty upbeat and Easter is the high point, but Good Friday is a downer. Who wants to hear that story about Jesus dying? People don’t like depressing stories. Theologically it is incomprehensible to me. Without the death of Jesus, there is no resurrection. Without Good Friday, there is no Easter.

Anyone who sings Palm Sunday hymns knows what’s coming.

We need the whole Christ crucified and resurrected. We need the whole Christ for our salvation. We need the whole Christ for the pattern of our lives. The traditional prayer for Palm Sunday began, “Almighty and everlasting God, who has sent thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death on the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility.” The whole Christ is our Savior and our Example. We can’t make do with only part of Christ.

Read 1 John 3:14-24, and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

Today’s Reading: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+3%3A14-24