Peace Presbyterian Church

“Welcoming and Worshipping Jesus”

As we enter the month of April, we also enter the most important week in the life of the church year. Holy Week culminates the season of Lent as we draw near to Easter. On Easter, we celebrate that Jesus is risen, that His tomb is empty and that as a result our lives will never be the same.

“Mary was welcoming Jesus into her home and praising Him for His goodness in her life.”

As we draw near to Palm Sunday, we are reminded of how Jesus was welcomed and worshipped. When Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus’ sister Mary took a pint of nard (which is an expensive perfume) and poured it on His feet. She then proceeded to wipe His feet with her hair (John 12:3). In doing so, Mary showed her love for Jesus. This perfume was very costly, and this was an unusual act, for usually oil was poured out on someone’s head and not their feet. Respectable women also did not unbind their hair in public or wash feet, so Mary showed humility here as well. Mary was welcoming Jesus into her home and praising Him for His goodness in her life. Regardless of how this may have looked, all that mattered to Mary was returning to Jesus some of the abundant love He had already given her.

“Palm branches were a sign of victory...”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, He was also welcomed and worshipped by the crowds, who shouted out in John 12:13, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!” Palm Sunday reminds us of this welcome and worship as they used palm branches to usher Him into the city. Palm branches were a sign of victory, and so they celebrated that Jesus was the victorious Son of David. The crowds were not worried about incurring the wrath of the religious leaders, for they knew who Jesus was and they could not help but worship Him. May we too not care what others think of us, as we welcome and worship Jesus in our lives.

On Maundy Thursday, we see how Jesus ate with His disciples, explaining to them His coming death, but also significantly, explaining how they would live as His disciples. Jesus washed their feet and called them to do so as well, in order to be humble and faithful servants. Jesus gave them a new command, saying in John 13:34-5,

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”

“Are we willing to listen to Him, to trust in Him, to believe in Him and to follow Him?”

On Easter Sunday, we rediscover the Empty Tomb. God has done something only He can do (which is His specialty). God showed that His powerful reach extends even into the grave. The disciples and the world will never be the same again. At them empty tomb, when Jesus called Mary Magdalene by name, she recognized Him (20:16). Jesus still calls us by name to remind us that He is risen and that He is alive. Are we willing to listen to Him, to trust in Him, to believe in Him and to follow Him? As we live our lives in the light of the empty tomb, we will learn how to be fully alive. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to raise us from spiritual and emotional death into new life in Christ. Let us welcome and worship Jesus in this Holy week and in this Easter season.

Love in Christ,
Pastor Brian