It could have easily been missed. At least in my little world.
I went to church this morning, in a sweatshirt and jeans, trying to warm up from the cold wind blowing outside. No thoughts of spring. No hints of Easter. No mention of Palm Sunday. Just kind of an afterthought of, "yeh, Easter's next week, so be sure you go to the community center for our service."
We have such a build up to the Christmas "season" ... huge celebrations. elaborate productions. simple acts of service all to commemorate the God who was born in a manger.
But, we tend to underplay the significance of Easter.
I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's more comfortable or en vogue to talk about birth than death?
Maybe we just don't get it.
Christmas brought God to man. But Easter reconciled man to God. That's kind of big deal.
Today's Palm Sunday. And it almost passed me by.
It's the commemoration of the day Jesus entered Jerusalem (just as prophecy foretold) to set in motion the events that would lead to his death. A triumphal entry, they said. Hosannah, they said.
I'm not really sure what it would have been like in Jerusalem that week. Obviously, Jesus had a huge following who celebrated his entry into Jerusalem for Passover Week. They knew on some level that he was the promised Messiah, but the significance of the donkey he rode, versus the powerful stallion they expected was lost in the emotion of it all. His humble teaching versus the conquering King was still a paradox. Jerusalem would have been full of people who had made the yearly pilgrimmage for Passover, just as Jesus had done with his family, many years before. I would imagine it was somewhat like downtown Atlanta during Passion. Throngs of people who have come to worship and fellowship and be a part of something much larger than themselves. There's something contagious about being with that many like-hearted people. I do not doubt for a moment, the fervor of those who threw their coats and palm branches to make a path for Jesus. It had to be a remarkable day.
Not only is it Passover, not only are we all in Jesusalem, but Jesus has come.
Not new to the Jewish people gathered in Jerusalem, was the celebration of Passover which marked the freedom of the Israelites' captivity in Egypt. Like many others, that night in Jerusalem, the dinner we now refer to as The Lord's Supper, was Jesus and his disciples gathered over the seder meal. It was a familiar meal that involved a retelling of the Exodus, a washing of hands, a giving of blessing and a sharing of wine.
A friend of mine brought to light an element of the Passover celebration that I had never known. Beth Moore shared it with the thousands of students gathered at Passion this January. It is the Dayenu, one of the many songs sung throughout the Passover celebrations. It is here, that I'd like my heart to focus this week as I remember.
It begins with the asking of a question: How many favors have been bestowed on us?
And it is answered with 15 stanzas of God's faithful provision, followed by dayenu which means, it would have been enough.
If He had brought us out of Egypt... it would have been enough
If He had executed justice upon the Egyptians... it would have been enough
If He had executed justice upon their gods... it would have been enough
If He had slain their first born... it would have been enough
If He had given to us their health and wealth... it would have been enough
If He had split the sea for us... it would have been enough
If He had led us through on dry land... it would have been enough
If He had drowned our oppressors... it would have been enough
If He had provided for our needs in the wilderness for 40 years... it would have been enough
If He had fed us manna... it would have been enough
If He had given us Shabbat... it would have been enough
If He had led us to Mount Sinai... it would have been enough
If He had given us the Torah... it would have been enough.
If He had brought us into the Land of Israel... it would have been enough
If He built the Temple for us... it would have been enough
Wow. Let me stop here for a minute. Because, even after many years of counting blessings, I am so slow to be grateful for all I have been given. Can I genuinely say, Had He given me life ... it would have been enough, had He allowed me to serve Him even once ... it would have been enough, If he had placed me in a family ... it would have been enough, the roof over my head, the food in my stomach ... it would have been enough. How often do I recite just the opposite, if you could just do this one more thing, it would be enough ... if you would bring me a husband, that will be enough ... if you will give me a nicer home and a bigger car, that will be enough. How rarely am I satisfied, truly satisfied with the ABUNDANCE I've been given. Just one of those innumerable blessings would have been enough. Just one.
But moving on ... Let me borrow from Beth Moore now. Because, that night, as Jesus sat at the table with those who had walked with him for three years, knowing what was ahead, and that they would just not understand it all, yet ...
And the provisions of God were recounted. And the table replied dayenu ... it would have been enough.
He knew it wasn't.
He knew, freedom from Egypt would not be enough.
He knew a King would not be enough.
He knew His coming to earth would not be enough.
He knew His three years of earthly ministry would not be enough.
He knew all the lessons he taught, the people he healed, the miracles he performed would not be enough.
The hours he spent with the 12 would not be enough for what was ahead.
God come to earth, would not be enough to reconcile man to God.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him, would not perish, but have eternal life. THAT, and only that would be enough.
And knowing that, Jesus left that table where the dayenu had been sung and went to the Garden to be with His Father, steeling His heart to be the once-for-all provision of God's sufficiency. And HE became the enough that satisfied the righteous requirements for our sin.
There is much to celebrate this week, much for our human hearts who very rarely find the humility to say "it would have been enough" to bow at the foot of that cross and realize that our sin put Him there. Much to celebrate at the empty tomb that says HE IS RISEN and HE IS ENOUGH for me.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Is. 1:18
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