2010 03 28 Palm Sunday

Sunday class: Matthew 5:10. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Scripture reading: #379

Vesper’s: What the Bible says about Gambling!

Wednesday evening: Romans chapter 5

Saturday: men’s breakfast at 8:00 – Golden Corral, Johnson

Saturday: A party celebrating Jene’s adoption of the girls @ 2:00 in the church fellowship hall.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. 

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. 

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN.

From 'mountaintop to mountain top' takes you through a lot of valleys.

The Hallel (Psalms 113-118)

text: Mark 11; Luke 22.1; Mark 14:14-26

In Mark 11 and Luke 22 we find the great, victorious story of the 'triumphal entry' Jesus made into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey that hadn't been 'broken' to ride. 

The disciples undoubtedly felt that day that this entrance into Jerusalem was a 'mountaintop' experience. It was to be the beginning of incredibly great things. 

There was excitement as the crowd was singing and chanting the great Psalms of victory – ‘The Hallel’. It doesn't seem that the disciples were giving any thought to the context of those psalms' prophetic origins – the real meaning and end result spoken of in 'Hallel.'

The disciples were ‘picking and choosing’ from the verses of the sacred ‘Hallel’ to suit their mood and their anticipations.

They were looking forward to bigger and better things! They felt that they were seeing their King ushered into Jerusalem to take his throne. Onward and upward! Mountaintop to mountaintop, it was only going to get better!

They had even started arguing over who was going to get to have the greatest seats of power in the kingdom that Jesus was establishing. 

The ‘Hallel’ was also the “song” that Jesus and the disciples would be singing later in the week as they went out into the night (Mark 14:26) and headed up to the garden where Jesus would be betrayed.

Mark 14:14. Say to the owner of the house he enters, `The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15. He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there."

16. The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 17. When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve.

18. While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me--one who is eating with me." 19. They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, "Surely not I?"

20. "It is one of the Twelve," he replied, "one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."

22. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." 23. Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it.

24. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. 25. "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."

26. When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

This was the song they sang…The Hallel (Psalms 113-118).

Ps 118.20. This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter. 
21. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. 
22. The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 
23. the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 
24. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25. O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success. 
26. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the LORD we bless you. 
27. The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.
28. You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. 
29. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 

How powerful this is! 

Jesus and the disciples were singing this traditional old Passover song as they walked away from the upper room in which they had just been celebrating what was called the poor man's, or traveler's Passover (not the full Passover but the part using only the 3rd cup of wine, the 'Cup of Blessing') - with Jesus saying, (Mt 26.29) I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."

They had, just earlier in the week, triumphantly entered Jerusalem with Jesus on the back of a donkey and the crowds throwing palm branches in the roadway before Him.

It was an exciting time in which it would have been easy to sing the first phrase of the Hallel - Psalms 113
1. Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.
2. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.
3. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised.

The disciples were enjoying the Hallel as they entered Jerusalem that day when the crowd was cheering "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD."

The disciples and Jesus were singing the Hallel as they progressed up the path to the garden where Judas would meet them with the soldiers, but they were no longer enjoying it.

It's easy to sing praises to the Lord on the way to church. It's more meaningful to sing praises to the Lord when you are on your way to Human Resources carrying your pink slip, to turn in your employee i.d. badge.

Our testimony of the faithfulness of God isn't important when the crowd is cheering. Our testimony of the faithfulness of God is important - and exhibits its validity and power when the crowd has turned on us and is ready to kill us. Then we lift our head and our hands to the Lord and sing as did He on that evening two millenniums ago, "You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you."

My dear friend, are you going up the mountain today or are you headed through a valley? Whatever your situation today - "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."