The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Pastor Richard Zimmerman First United Lutheran Church The day Jesus came to town they had a parade. A simple enough parade by today's standards: no marching bands or flowered floats or twenty-foot high balloons of Garfield the cat. But a good parade! Cloaks and other garments spread on the road before Him as He rode that donkey into town, palm branches quickly cut from nearby trees waved high in the air with shouts of welcome and worship. Caught up in the excitement, the enthusiasm, the emotion of the moment, Jerusalem welcomed its king! The Old Testament Scriptures rang in their ears that day, and came true before their eyes: "Your king is coming to you. He is humble and rides on a donkey" (Zechariah: 9:9). It was a great day! Those palm branches stand for eternal life and heaven, where the celebration of Jesus' redeeming love will never end. This particular parade, however, ended as quickly as it began. Early Friday morning of the week that followed, there were more shouting, but now the words were filled with hatred: Caesar is our only king; Jesus? Nail Him to a cross! No palm branches now, only fists clenched in anger. And there was another parade. It was the opposite of the first one. The donkey has been traded in for a cross. But He is no less a king, for on that cross He gains the love and rules the hearts of those who have faith in Him. He offers Himself as both priest and victim (only He, true God and true Man, could do this) for the forgiveness and salvation of the whole world. He died and rose again for you! May His Holy Spirit give you strong faith in your Redeemer! A final word: don't be too hard on that fickle crowd with their two parades that first Holy Week. We're hardly any better. But remember, when the evening of this life comes, as it surely will, we will be judged as we have loved. For or against Jesus. This is really all that finally matters. He is really all that matters, now and in the endless ages of eternity! May you have a Christ-filled Holy Week and Easter! Easter Service There will be a non-denominational Easter Church Service at the Flin Flon Community Hall, Friday, March 25, at 11 a.m.
