Were there any on that day, young or old or in-between, who remembered the words Jesus had spoken in preparation for His death and resurrection? Any who looked back on His promises with hope and faith, even while His broken body lay still and silent in the borrowed tomb? Nearly all of His most faithful had forgotten. They huddled frightened in upper rooms, grieving shattered dreams, empty hopes, and the loss of their beloved Teacher. In their minds, the startling end of an era had come, just as they had been expecting to usher in His brand new world. Where did we go wrong? a few must have asked. What did we miss? Oh,…

I’ve been pondering four cups: the four cups of Passover, held in the hands of Jesus … In Christian tradition, we’ve been concerned mainly with one: the cup we know from the Last Supper, which some call “holy communion.” For generations, though, Jesus’ Jewish brethren have been drinking four cups holding the fruit of the vine. And on the night in which He was betrayed, when our Lord Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, He, too, drank four cups. the cup of salvation The first of these is the cup of salvation. It calls to mind the hand of God, reaching down to lift from His people the burden…

Huddled in their homes, seeking shelter from the chaos that threatened to tear their world apart, families waited anxiously for word that all was well outside. There had been murmurings of a Redeemer who had come to set them free, but the idea seemed ludicrous, especially in light of present circumstances. For just as rampant were the rumors that Death stalked any who ventured beyond their front doors … nothing new under the sun Conditions surrounding the first Passover were not all that different from today, in some ways. Let’s slip on their worn sandals for a moment, and see what the plight of these ancient Hebrews might have to…

As the days remaining for Jesus to tarry on the earth grew short, His words must have carried an even greater urgency. Listen again to one of the last parables He shared with His disciples: “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At…

Twin themes of humility and repentance ran through our service today. An odd choice for the typically jubilant nature of Palm Sunday, you might think; let me explain. Pilgrims coming from distant villages for Passover flooded into the lanes and gates surrounding Jerusalem. Along with their traveling bags, they brought with them new stories of the miracle maker: His healings, wise teachings, acts of compassion and mercy. Prophecies foretelling the Messiah were searched out and examined; zealots hungry for Rome’s overthrow whipped the crowd into fever pitch. Some were caught up in the general excitement. Others were certain that this man—riding in on a donkey colt as the prophets had…