“Hosanna!”
On the next day, when the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, indeed, the King of Israel!” Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: “Do not fear, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things for Him. John 12:12-16
This Sunday, we will be celebrating Palm Sunday. This commemorates the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt. Jesus came into Jerusalem with His disciples to celebrate the Passover feast, as was required of all Jewish males.
When Jesus arrived, He was welcomed as the conquering Messiah who would overthrow the oppressive Roman forces that had been occupying Israel. People were waiving palm branches and shouting:
“Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, indeed, the King of Israel!”
But just a few days later, on Friday, the hands that held palm branches were now clenched fists. And the people who shouted, “Hosanna” were now shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him”. What happened?
Jesus disappointed the people. He didn’t fulfill the Messiah job description that they had written for Him. He didn’t come to save them from the Romans. Jesus came to save them from far deadlier and more horrible enemies: sin and death.
Have you ever felt disappointed in Jesus? Maybe He didn’t answer a prayer as you expected. Perhaps He asked to live a different sort of life. It could have happened because of a loss you experienced. Whatever the reason, all of us have felt disappointed in Jesus. This tends to happen when we have false expectations about someone.
Jesus isn’t the kind of Messiah we might have expected. But He is the kind of Messiah we desperately need. All of us need to be saved from sin and death. This is why Jesus came into Jerusalem and this is why He came into our lives.
We’ll explore this in more detail on Sunday. I hope you will join us.
In Christ,
Pastor David
Pastor Nominating Committee
Now that our Mission Study has been received and accepted by our Presbytery the GMPC Nominating Committee will nominate church members to serve on the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC). Given the time which has lapsed while we conducted our Church’s Mission Study, the Nominating Committee is providing an opportunity for those who may desire consideration and willing to make the necessary commitment to serve on our PNC. The duration of required commitment could be as long as several years as we seek to determine God’s desires for the future spiritual leader of GMPC.
The window to make a new application will be between now (10 March) and Thursday, March 28. We continue to be thankful for those who have previously submitted applications volunteering their time and talents for PNC service in response to the initial solicitation. There is no need to resubmit applications from those who have previously submitted. Following a period of prayerful review and consideration our committee will prepare and present a final slate of PNC candidates for voting by the congregation planned for next month.
Anyone interested in serving on the PNC is asked to fill out a 2-page form with their background information. The requested information includes such questions as church activities and leadership positions, professional and educational background, and why you think God might be calling you to serve. Forms are available by contacting Rachael Tisdale in the Church office and should be completed and returned attention “Nominating Committee Chair” again not later than close of business on Thursday, March 28.
Those who are interested in serving on the PNC are encouraged to prayerfully consider accepting this sizeable responsibility. In addition to the considerable time commitment, a spiritual commitment to invite God to be present as part of the discussion and to discern the path He has laid out for us is required.
Chipp Wilfong, Chair
GMPC Nominating Committee
