Summary: When I was a kid, I loved Palm Sunday because it was pretty much the only day when I was encouraged to play with sticks in church. Today, I still love Palm Sunday. But as I've grown older the reasons have changed (mostly). This week, along with churches around the world, we will remember that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a humble beast of burden surrounded by crowds waving palm branches and shouting, "Hosanna! God save us now!" Many people call this event "The Triumphal Entry." Only a few days later, however, Jesus was rejected by the same crowds. This time, Jesus left Jerusalem carrying the burden of the cross upon his shoulders. He was surrounded by jeers rather than cheers. And instead of the glad multitudes stretching out their hands to pull palm branches from the surrounding trees, this time Jesus' own hands were stretched out and pinned to the tree itself. At the beginning of the week, he was welcomed as a conquering king. At the end of the week, he was crucified like a rejected king. But the question remains: Which event was the true triumph? This week, we will learn from Mark 15 how to follow the triumphal King on the road to resurrection. Downloads
