When I was a kid, we had a giant eucalyptus tree in the center of our backyard. One day we did a rain dance for our California cousins who were visiting and a giant storm knocked the tree down about an hour later. My parents decided to put a pool in the hole in the ground where the mighty tree once stood, surrounded by palm trees. Every Palm Sunday when I see the palms, I remember growing up in Phoenix and I think back to my childhood hanging out with my cousins in our backyard swimming pool. It's funny how a tree falling during a storm can lead to so much change.
The world is celebrating Palm Sunday today. It's the day Jesus arrived in Jerusalem and was welcomed with palm branches as He strode in on a donkey, a symbol He was coming in peace. In Luke 19:41 "He saw the city and wept over it." Jesus knew what was coming in the week ahead. These people welcoming Him with palm branches would soon be turning against Him. There was a hole in His heart just as there was a giant hole in the ground after the storm knocked down our family eucalyptus tree. Yes, change was coming. Jesus would fall three times while carrying His Cross to the site where He would be crucified.
Think about Palm Sunday and what Jesus experienced. One moment He was on top of the world and the next He was ordered to be put to death. He did all this for you and me. He did it for love. The good news for us is that Jesus turned the worst day in His life into something really special, just like my parents turned a fallen tree into a backyard oasis. Jesus came back from the dead. He made all things new. That's my wish for you today. May you remember Jesus riding into town on a donkey. May you remember what He did for you on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. And may you celebrate your new life on Easter Sunday, one week from today. Yes, Jesus conquered death and He opened the door to Heaven for all of us. I'm committed to following Him all the days of my life. How about you?
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