Beginning with Palm Sunday we will journey this Holy Week on the road to Easter. Along the way we will see how the people cheered for Jesus as He entered Jerusalem. They were jubilant and excited.
Our Holy Week journey will also show us the institution of the Lord’s Supper as He spent time with His disciples for one last meal, after which He was arrested and brought before the ruler of the land. He stood before the people and they gave a voice vote for Barabbas, a criminal, to be set free, instead of Jesus, who had done no wrong.
From His entry into the city to His painful walk to Golgotha for the crucifixion, He was on quite a journey.
Along life’s road we find ourselves faced with decisions and heartaches. Yet, our Lord provides us with a resource called prayer that, if used and obeyed, will give us clear directions but, it is up to us to heed what He says.
What can we learn from a traffic report?
In the 1980’s I was working in communications and had a gig in Dallas, Texas as a traffic reporter. I enjoyed the job as no two shifts were ever the same. There was always something different going on in the metroplex.
I usually worked the afternoon rush hour and a report may go something like this: “If you are outbound on Central Expressway you can expect a slowdown as you approach Mockingbird Lane due to a traffic accident. Watch for emergency vehicles en route to that area now. Meanwhile, Northbound on Stemmons, it’s a slow go all the way from Elm to the Loop 12 area due to road construction. When you get into Carrollton on Stemmons watch out for some police action near Belt Line. With traffic on the 10s I’m Mike Layne for Traffic Patrol.”
That gives you an overview of a traffic report. We would also tell the listener where there were problems with traffic signals that were out or any other necessary information to make their travel as easy as possible. The listener would have the decision to make as to which route they would take. The important element is to listen to the report.
The road Jesus took for us
During Holy Week, Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday, we will see the road Jesus took for every one of us. He traveled a road that led Him to the Cross and there He died for our sins. He shed His blood because of His love for humanity. The question is, will you heed His directions?
Maybe you are saying, “I never hear from God.” Why not? Maybe you haven’t been quiet enough to hear from Him. 1 Kings 19:11 tells us about Elijah who heard the “small still voice”. In order to hear that “still small voice” of our Lord we must spend some quiet time before Him. Have you noticed that when church is over how quickly many leave instead of spending some quiet time before the altar?
During Holy Week please spend quiet time with our Lord to hear what He would say to you. You may be surprised by how that conversation will go. The Holy Week road will send us on a journey from Palm Sunday to Holy Thursday when Jesus instituted the Eucharist or Holy Communion, and then we journey along the path of His torture and crucifixion. The journey is not yet over as we will continue on the road from Good Friday to Easter when our Lord has risen from the grave. He lives!
This article was written by Dr Michael Layne who serves as an Archbishop in the Lutheran Orthodox Church and is pastor of FaithPoints Lutheran Church in Greensburg, IN.
