What Would You Have Done?

Palm Sunday marked the beginning of Holy Week for a lot of Christian organizations.  The ritual represented Christ’s actual entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey and was greeted by a crowd with palm leaves laid before Him.   Mind you, this donkey was never ridden, similar to being a virgin, even the donkey symbolized peace.  The Messiah had arrived.  The Pharisees didn’t set it that way.  They didn’t like the way the people were treating Jesus like a king.  It didn’t matter how many miracles Jesus had performed.  It was a triumphant entry which also became a very passionate prelude to death.  By that Friday, people were crying before His crucifixion.  Be wary of praise, I always say, you never know what some folks are scheming.  But there is so much to think about during Holy Week!  What about the Last Supper?  It was the last meal that they all shared but it took the dullness out of the usual meal together.  What were the apostles thinking when Jesus was blessing His Body and Blood in the form of bread and wine?  Why did He wash the apostles’ feet?  He also predicted His betrayal by one of His followers.  What would we have done throughout all of this?  We would question Christ’s behavior or mental state?  Why was He speaking this way?  Would we question our own fate?  What ever was said and done was a solemn and sad night.  The mortal side of Jesus didn’t want to die a cruel and horrible death even though He knew He had to.  Jesus obeyed the Will of His Father.  How He must have prayed at Gethsemane, trusting that Peter, James, and John would stand vigilant.  Twice, He found them sleeping.  Were they sleeping because of exhaustion? From sorrow?  Does it matter?  Jesus had faced storms, mobs, temptations and demons, but they never got next to Him.  Gethsemane, the Garden of Agony, means an oil press, a place where the pressures of rocks are used to squeeze the oil out of olives. A stressful place and a night was full of stress!  Something very bad was going to happen.  Peter will deny Christ himself and Peter was Christ’s right hand!  There is so much to meditate on this week!  I haven’t discussed the trial, scourging, crowning of thorns, carrying the cross, and the actual crucifixion.  He was crucified as a common criminal with two thieves with His mother looking on.   What happened when Christ died on Mt. Calgary (Golgotha)?  What more did the thieves and Christ talk about?  There is so much to meditate on during Holy Week. Again, I ask you what would you do?  Imagine hearing these words that uttered, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”  Then finally death.  If an earthquake happened and destroyed the temple, what would you do?  Did the sky turn dark and the moon turn a blood red?  The Bible said some fearful things but I believe them to be true.  Man has lost his way since Eden.  Look around you now.  Our children are being executed; hatred, envy, and intolerance are running rampant.  Wars are being fought over pride and territory.  Immorality, corrupt politics, and inequitable social laws are separating us farther from God. Jesus was the sacrificial lamb who gave up his life for man.  It appears we haven’t learned a thing.  A side note: Easter was an exciting time for my mom.  She loved everything about it, the blooming flowers and dogwoods and the singing and praising.  She stayed in this world until the day after Easter before she left for her heavenly home.  Please meditate on good and positive things, Resurrection Sunday (Easter) is next week.