Last Sunday, Palm Sunday, I asked the question, “How did it go horribly wrong?” After a triumphant entrance into Jerusalem with the people waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna,” how did the rest of that week go horribly wrong?

By Tuesday, the Pharisees plotted to kill him
By Wednesday, Judas received a bribe to betray him
By Thursday, Jesus was arrested, beaten and found guilty by a Jewish trial
By Friday, he stood before Pilate, whipped and bloodied, and died on a cross

After a great Palm Sunday, how did it go horribly wrong?

I reminded the congregation that it didn’t go horribly wrong, but, in fact, it went horribly, horribly right. For God to save us (the meaning of the word, Hosanna), it had to be a cross.  God is both just and merciful. For God to be just, it had to be a cross to pay for the penalty of our sin. For God to be merciful, it had to be a cross so that the guilty would be set free.

It didn’t go horribly wrong.  It went horribly, horribly right.

But you wouldn’t know that if you came to church on Palm Sunday and then returned on Easter. You would go from one celebration to another celebration.

You would miss the drama of Maundy Thursday (12:00 and 6:30) of the Last Supper and the stripping of the altar. 

You would miss the Prayer Vigil of staying awake and praying with Jesus for one hour.

You would miss the darkness of Good Friday (7:30) with the slamming of the book and being left only with a single candle.

This year, experience how it went horribly, horribly right by walking with Jesus throughout the week, not just on the celebrations on Palm Sunday and Easter. And if you do complete this walk throughout Jesus’ final Holy Week, when you shout on Easter morning, “He is Risen!” you will know and you will have experienced, that it went horribly, horribly right.

Hosanna! Save Us, We Pray!

Pastor Scott

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