“The Passover Lamb.” John 12:12-19
The High Priest, on the tenth day of the first month of Nisan, would walk from the temple mount, out the city gate of Jerusalem.
Behind him a long row of priests who followed him lining up from the city gate all the way to the Temple. Passover was one of the required feasts so the city was packed with people. The High Priest went outside the city and selected a lamb without blemish for the Passover and would bring it to the gate. Once the lamb reached the gate, one of the priests would cry out, ‘Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’ and everyone along the whole line would cry out the same thing in unison. Jerusalem was filed to capacity with people in every home and hotel to celebrate the Passover as God commanded. When they heard this cry, each one would grab their palm branches and run to the path already marked by the priests, and when the High Priest went by, they would cry out the same words and lay down their palm branches while the lamb was led up to the Temple Mount.”
But on this day we now know as Palm Sunday, the Passover Lamb would come riding on a colt. Palm branches were placed in front of the Lamb and the admiring crowd called out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” John 12:13
Question: When was the Passover celebrated at the time of Jesus?
Answer: The eight-day festival of Passover was and is celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nisan. It commemorates when God led the Israelites from slavery under the leadership of Moses from Egypt.
Rejoice In His Light
Sunday is Palm Sunday the last Sunday of Lent, a time of repentance and prayerful anticipation of Christ’s resurrection on Easter morning. The panels are now purple, symbolizing mourning and remembrance of how Christ suffered for us. Christians, for centuries, have used color in divine worship to emphasize the redemptive action of God through his Son. Color, like music, plays an important role in the life of God’s worshiping people. Just as music is the “handmaiden to theology,” liturgical color complements the message of the seasons and occasions during the church year. Liturgical colors aid in addressing a specific “colorful” chapter in the life of our Lord and his church, retold annually by the church calendar. The primary role of color in divine worship is it allows us to see the Light of Life, Jesus Christ. Today is a special day of Lent as we remember Lite of Life entering Jerusalem triumphantly with palm branches raised in His honor.
