Family Faith:

Palm Sunday is approaching. As I reflect on the last days of Jesus’ earthly life, I am amazed at how He suffered, as each of us do, with human feelings and circumstances.

I see that He experienced monetary need (Matthew 21:2); anger (vs. 12); sleepiness (vs. 17); hunger (vs. 18); faith (vs. 19-21); doubt from others (vs. 23); and utter rejection (vs. 45). He endured the mortal feelings each of us has suffered at one time or another, but in greater magnitude than any of us have. And the most profound aspect of Jesus’ humanness, is that He was perfect; He did not sin, even in His fear and temptation.

Jesus was no respecter of persons. He came for all of us throughout history.

He boldly said it was the intent of the heart that mattered, not “who” we are or “what” we do for a living. The prostitutes, tax collectors (vs. 32), those presumed great sinners, but whose hearts were open to righteousness, would enter the gates of heaven, when religious leaders who were cloaked in hypocrisy would not.

Jesus knew a week before His resurrection that He would die for each of them. None were deserving of His sacrifice — though some believed and others rejected. In the midst of all these events, Jesus felt human fear, for He was fully God and fully man.

He was ushered into Jerusalem on a donkey while the crowds cheered, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9).

Jesus then goes on to tell many parables before He is crucified, still bringing the message of hope, of salvation, before those He loved crucified Him.

He tells His disciples in 26:2, “As you know, the Passover is two days away — and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” And so Matthew 27 gives detailed account of the events that led to the crucifixion, as do the other Gospels.

It comes to my mind how we think we have stress and chaos in our lives. And we do at times. Yet, we have never experienced what Jesus went through, we may have never really even acknowledged the details of His suffering. Yet, Jesus did not abandon the task out of trepidation. He pressed on and did the right thing, the holy thing, to save us. God was His strength, for He never could have attained this in his human strength, just as we cannot attain holiness and right choices in ours.

Jesus is our example. This Palm Sunday, picture and meditate on Him riding the donkey into Jerusalem, preaching the Word of God to save sinners until His death a week later. Still reaching out in hope to save us. Do we really grasp this truth as Easter approaches? Do we repent and praise and cry humble thanks for what He did? Or has it been more about the decorations, food and fellowship over the years?

Let us focus on Christ this Easter as we meditate on what He suffered and accomplished for each of us. For it has affected our present and eternal lives.

 The Rev. KIMBERLIE ZAKARIAN can be reached by e-mail at holyhouse9@ gmail.com or by mail at Holy House Ministries c/o the Rev. Kimberlie Zakarian, M.S. La Vie Counseling Center, 650 Sierra Madre Villa, Suite 110, Pasadena, CA 91107.