Fields United Methodist Church

Celebrate Jesus!

Pastor Tom Joyce

April 4, 2022

“As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power they have seen…”

Luke 19:37

How could they have known, that the One they were cheering for would, within a few days, be hearing chants of “crucify him.” So it was in the days leading up to the resurrection of Jesus. The people were so excited to see Jesus come to town but were eventually swayed by those who wanted control over their lives, and the only way they could achieve their goal was to silence the crowd by getting rid of Jesus.  But God said, not so fast! There is no silencing the people of faith. There may be momentary lapses along the way like denial, apathy, excuses, and forgetting the joy of faith, yet ultimately Jesus wins out every time.  Palm Sunday marks the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It is also Jesus’ entry into our lives as well; lives where we cheer one moment and chant the next; lives that all seem great one moment then quickly change.  The celebration of Palm Sunday, the remembering of the Last Supper, and the anguish of the crucifixion, all lead to the victory over death by Jesus on the third day. It is a reminder that in the midst of our cheers, jeers, and crazy lives, Jesus never leaves us. Bottom line is, you matter to God, more than you will ever know; Holy Week and certainly the Easter celebration is a reminder of the never-ending love God for you.  Our Holy Week and Easter celebrations may be all about Jesus, but truly is all for you, especially you, especially now.