the original Jesus high.

I absolutely love Holy Week. Whenever someone asked me what my favorite Christian holiday was, my answer was always Palm Sunday. I could only imagine the pure joy and celebration in the air the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem. Their King had arrived.  

Our King has arrived.

The story of Palm Sunday and Holy Week reminds me of what it's like going to church. Perhaps this was foreshadowing the attitude of our hearts in the future, or perhaps the conclusion that I'm drawing is one that wasn't intentional. I want you to imagine what it's like to be in church on Sunday, or church whatever day you attend. We gather and praise Jesus, our King who has come to deliver us from the sins we cannot atone for ourselves. We shout in adoration, we listen intently, we pray communally. It's pure joy and celebration. 

And then the week starts. 

After witnessing and praising the power of the Lord, we retreat back into the darkness. We go back into the world and thus begins our journey of disbelief. Much like the Jewish people of that time, even after witnessing the power of Jesus, we still would not believe. And those that do believe like myself, we would hide our faith for fear of others like the Pharisees of that time because we crave human praise rather than Godly praise. 

And then, we come to the Last Supper. 

We now come to a point in which we don't realize that we are about to reject and defile our Lord. Although we don't know it, Jesus knows our hearts will betray His power. And yet, He still stands up, removes his garment, and begins to wash our feet. Even still, we refuse to acknowledge his service and love for us. We continue and continue to betray Him in our hearts, in our actions, in our words.  

And in His kindness, He still continues to show us His undeserving love. 

When we go throughout our week denying His presence in our lives, He still retreats back to the love from our heavenly Father. He still calls us His own, and He reminds us that even in our sorrow and betrayal, we still have a place in the Father's kingdom. He reminds us that we will have the Holy Spirit to guide our hearts even though our human flesh rejects Him. He reminds us that what we will endure, He has endured first. And although we do not in any way deserve His love, He still grants it to us. 

And then He prays for us. 

I cannot begin to explain how much we do not deserve the amount of love Jesus has for us. Within one of the darkest weeks of His life, He takes time to pray for us. Every time I get to this passage, I get teary eyed; not just at the intentional words of the Father, but at the fact that He in his sovereignty prayed for each and every one of our hearts. He watched His disciples betray Him. He watched His disciple pay for His death. He watched people deny Him, and yet: He wants us to be with Him.  

And then, He says this:

"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in the and that I myself may be in them." John 17:25-26

I love Palm Sunday and Holy Week because it reminds me of the fact that even though I am completely in love with Jesus, I will fail. I will deny Him. I will betray Him.
And yet, He knows. He forgives. He sacrifices Himself for my failures, and He still calls me home. 
His Love floors me every single day. 
Happy Palm Sunday, and happy Holy Week.