Palm Sunday’s Hidden “Easter Eggs”

No, this isn’t a post about hunting for Easter Eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny. Instead, I’m referring to secrets hidden in various forms of media that reference other media sources as in-jokes or plot connections. An example is an Egyptian engraving of R2-D2 from Star Wars hidden in a scene from one of the Indiana Jones movies. In our culture, these are often just for fun; however, the hints recorded in the Bible are for more serious intent. Hinting the Text If someone quotes a line from a movie, those who know the film well instantly are drawn back […]

Habakkuk: Facing A Ferocious Foe

They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves.Their horses are swifter than leopards,more fierce than the evening wolves;their horsemen press proudly on.Their horsemen come from afar;they fly like an eagle swift to devour. Habakkuk 1:7-8 We continue to look at Habakkuk’s description of the Chaldeans/Babylonians. He presents an image of them marching onward, displaying the discipline of an organized fighting force ready to pounce on its prey. How do we respond when people are attacking each other like ferocious wild animals? Dreaded and Dignified They are dreaded and feared. The first word is rare, only […]

Palm Sunday Procession

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,“Hosanna!”“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Blessed is the king of Israel!”Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;    see, your king is coming,    seated on a donkey’s colt.” John 12:12-15 Today is Palm Sunday. I hiked with my fellow students to walk with the procession down the Mount of Olives into the […]

Entering Jerusalem

  I rejoiced with those who said to me,    “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”  Our feet are standing    in your gates, O Jerusalem. Psalm 122:1-2 Today is Palm Sunday, remembering when Jesus entered Jerusalem. We entered a couple days ago by car, frenzied by the traffic and a malfunctioning GPS. Jesus entered much more gracefully and confidently on a colt. As I look around the city, I can point where the events of the week took place. This day kicks off 8 days of remembrance, similar to other 8 day festivals in the Biblical […]