Here’s a fun topic… sin!

OK maybe not, but it is interesting. At least for a pastor it is an interesting topic. What exactly is sin? I suppose you could conduct a survey and get answers from people to define sin. However, it is not our description of sin that matters. What matters is how God views sin.

Now if you go searching in your Bible for sin, you will find a lot of references. There are 966 references to sin in the version I use. Unfortunately, 99.9% of them do not give a definition of sin. Sure, we see actions labeled as sin, but that doesn’t get to the core of what it actually is.

After searching from the book of Genesis forward, the first clear definition of sin is found in the book of Romans. “Everything that does not come from faith is sin.” Romans 14:23

Faith is the free gift of trust in Jesus from God. When we have faith, we have the ability to trust God with our lives including our thoughts and actions. With that as an understand of what faith is, Paul tells us that anything we do that doesn’t rely on faith is sin because it does not rely on God.

Some of this is complicated by the fact that we can’t see into people’s hearts. In other words, we can’t judge motivations because we cannot see motivations. Sin is an internal problem that can (but not always) manifest in the external world. What makes matters worse is that some people do bad things “in faith.” They may be totally misguided, but the act was committed with “good intentions.”

Clearly, sin is a murky matter.

That makes me wonder, what does Martin Luther think after all he is pretty smart and a Lutheran!

Dr. Cynthia Jurisson a Lutheran Scholar from the University of Chicago wrote this about Martin Luther and sin…

“In Luther’s view, sin is not so much a verb as a noun, not so much an activity as a state of being separated from God. This is one reason why Luther rejected the practice of indulgences. They were a waste of time and money because they didn’t address the real problem: humans live in sin, unable to bridge the chasm between us and God, unable to make full reparation to God and to others for our sins.

Only Christ, the Son of God, can bridge the chasm.

Luther’s definition of sin, as a state of being separated from God, functioned as one of the great democratizing principles not only of the Reformation, but of the early modern world. If sin is the great leveler of persons, then all persons exist—in the eyes of God—at the same level, whether pope, king or peasant.”

Not only do we sin, we exist under the cloud of sin. We can’t escape it on our own. Luther refers to this as “original sin” or the sin that has been present since the beginning of creation and passed down through humanity.

Where does this leave us? I am not sure there is any resolution here other than this: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23.

We all (and when the Bible says “all” it means the whole world) have a need for a God who is willing to bridge the gap between our sin and a relationship with God. More simply, the world needs Jesus.

The problem is that we let sin get in the way of sharing Jesus. That is totally weird and contradictory but it is true. We (sometimes) determine who is worthy and who is not, yet the Bible clearly lays out the fact that we all need Jesus because of our sin.

Furthermore, Jesus comes and dies on a cross to take sin out of the equation. Why then do we judge others because of “their sin” when Jesus Christ does not? The answer: sin.

Sin is a messy business that we cannot escape… any of us. That is why Jesus comes to us and forgives us. Let us also bring Jesus to everyone we meet and not let sin be a factor in deciding who is worthy. None of us are worthy.

God bless,
Pr. Ben

I can’t remember when I was taught these symbols < > in grade school. Was it 2^nd grade or 3^rd grade, honestly I cannot remember? I do remember the concept!

For example: 3<8 (three is “less than” eight) or 5>2 (five is “greater than” two).

It is funny to think that I probably have not used those symbols since grade school. Yet this week, those symbols popped into my head.

I wasn’t thinking about which numbers are “greater than” and “less than” other numbers. I was thinking about how we do that with other people. Of course we would not say it, but we certainly think it. This person is a bad person (less than). This person is awesome (greater than). When it comes to God there is no such thing as “greater than” and “less than” when it comes to people.

Martin Bell wrote a book of short stories and essays in 1968 and they are wonderful. I pulled my copy with browned paper off my shelf to share a part of this essay with you. It is titled Wood and Nails and Colored Eggs.

“Something like an eternity ago, human beings got caught up in the illusion that being human is a relatively unimportant sort of proposition. Here today—gone tomorrow. A vale of tears—that sort of foolishness.

What’s more tragic, of course, is that in the wake of this basic error there quickly followed the idea that human beings are expendable, which easily degenerated into the proposition that some human beings are expendable. Certain human beings are expendable. Really bad people are expendable. People with low I.Q.’s are expendable. Anyone who disagrees with me is expendable…

Well, that’s not true. It’s wrong. All wrong. And it has always been wrong. From the creation of the heavens and earth, it has been wrong. There is nothing more important than being human. Our lives have eternal significance. And no one—absolutely no one—is expendable…

God raised Jesus from the dead to end that. We should be clear—once and for all—that there is nothing more important than being human. Our lives have eternal significance. And no one—absolutely no one—is expendable…

When we see people as “<” (less than) bad stuff happens. In Rwanda several years ago Tutsis were < Hutus. We all know what happened in the middle of the 20^th century in Europe: Jews and others were < everyone else. That is just scratching the surface. We know that on Sunday night an armed gunman killed many people in an Orlando nightclub because he most likely thought they were < him.

< (less than) has no place in conversations about people. When we view people or a group of people that way it can quickly turn to oppression or even violence. When we keep silent, others will view our silence as quiet approval. Neither is acceptable. This goes back to what I said last Sunday and our core value of “Hospitality to all.” Either everyone is welcome or we are a country club without a golf course. It is an all or nothing proposition. Either Jesus died for the sins of the world or he didn’t. What I mean by that is this: either Jesus died for everyone or he didn’t. (Belief in that action is a different conversation.)

This isn’t about a secret agenda. This is about our ability to live up to the words we claim as our core value. If we see all people as children of God, then there is no “less than” or “greater than.” Those words get replaced with another math sign: =. In God’s eyes we are all sinful. We are equal because we all have the same need, a God who will forgive us and bring us into community.

We don’t have to agree with someone 100% to be in community. However, we do have to treat each other as =’s to be children of God and the Church.

Below is the text of the letter from our Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Elizabeth Eaton after the shootings in Orlando on Sunday morning.

Think and pray on these things and for the people who are treated like they < others.

God bless,
Pr. Ben

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them.” Genesis 1:27

We are killing ourselves. We believe that all people are created in God’s image. All of humanity bears a family resemblance. Those murdered in Orlando were not abstract “others,” they are us. But somehow, in the mind of a deeply disturbed gunman, the LGBTQ community was severed from our common humanity. This separation led to the death of 49 and the wounding of 54 of us.

We live in an increasingly divided and polarized society. Too often we sort ourselves into like-minded groups and sort others out. It is a short distance from division to demonization. Yesterday, we witnessed the tragic consequences of this.

There is another way. In Christ God has reconciled the world to God’s self. Jesus lived among us sharing our humanity. Jesus died for us to restore our humanity. God invites us into this reconciling work. This must be our witness as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The perpetrator of this hate crime did not come out of nowhere. He was shaped by our culture of division, which itself has been misshapen by the manipulation of our fears. That is not who we are. St. Paul wrote, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ” (II Corinthians 5:17-20).

Our work begins now. We need to examine ourselves, individually and as a church, to acknowledge the ways we have divided and have been divided. We must stand with people who have been “othered”. We must speak peace and reconciliation into the cacophony of hatred and division. We must live the truth that all people are created in God’s image.

This morning your churchwide staff came together to mourn and to pray. We prayed for those killed in Orlando and remembered the Charleston Nine killed only a year ago. We prayed for the family of the shooter, for our LGBTQ brothers and sisters and for our Muslim brothers and sisters who now face the threat of retaliation. And we prayed that the Prince of Peace will bring us to the day when we stop killing ourselves.

Your sister in Christ,
Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Back in 2010, our previous Presiding Bishop of the ELCA wrote the following article below. It reads as if it was written yesterday. All you have to change is the word “election campaign” to “primary season”. Unfortunately, we are still in the same mode of “gotcha politics” today.  I am posting this as a reminder to all of us that God is sovereign (in charge) and we sometimes forget that. The words written below remind all of us of God’s love and provision.

Please note when reading the article below, no one party or person is singled out. This is kind of like Cinderella, if the glass slipper fits…

God bless us all,
Pr. Ben

Government is God’s Servant
By The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
The just-completed election campaign should wake us all and stir us to action. Our nation’s political climate has been overrun with bitter and divisive commentary. Reckless incivility has overtaken public discourse in our nation, and it is a travesty. Our children have watched and learned from us. Spiteful rhetoric used to stigmatize opponents on subjects such as immigration and gay rights has become a script for young people and children to bully and intimidate their peers.

Enough. We deserve better. I’m adding my voice to those who call for respectful political engagement for the common good. I join all who call for a renewal of common decency in public speech. I am not alone. Many Christians choose to engage public life with a hopeful spirit, very differently from the mean-spirited cynicism that has overtaken us. I join those who act out of hope, because I am confident that God is at work in the world for the good of everyone.

Behind much of the divisive rhetoric and the partisan behavior in our nation are perspectives that are not worthy of us as a nation. Some treat government as if it were God-forsaken unless one religious tradition and its set of moral values are imposed on people of all faiths. Some view people whose language, culture or convictions are “different” as threats or even enemies to be overcome and controlled. Some present themselves as victims and engage the political process resentfully for their own self-interests and the interests of those who are most like them.

Much of the division and hostility we experience in political life flows from these kinds of perspectives. Christians whose hope and confidence come from the biblical witness have a different perspective.

We recognize that government is God’s servant, as the apostle Paul wrote in the New Testament. Regardless of the faith of the people holding public office, government itself and all public employees serve God’s providential care for all humankind. Even when we are convinced that government is dysfunctional and needs reform, public service remains an honorable vocation and it deserves the respect of all. Political life should not be abandoned as hopelessly God-forsaken. We have the opportunity and the responsibility in a democracy to engage public life with generosity and compassion. Candidates elected to public office have a responsibility to serve the common good, not privileged interests or partisan factions.

When we participate in the political process, we engage others as neighbors whom we have the opportunity and privilege to serve. Christian faith follows Jesus, who came to serve, not to be served. Authentic Christian faith serves all who are our neighbors, both in this nation and around the world. Even when we disagree on important matters of public life, we respect our neighbors. We need not caricature their words and ideas simply to defeat them. Instead, we engage in vigorous public debate in order to preserve and strengthen the life we share with all. For that reason, even when we disagree, we seek to find others at their best.

Finally, Christians do not view life as a competition, where progress can come only at the expense of others. We engage the political life of our nation, presenting ourselves as people confident in a generous God who mercifully provides enough for the well-being of all people. We present our best gifts, ready to endure hardship and suffering for the sake of the common good. Because God has not entrusted abundant resources and gifts to us for partisan advantage, we use them for the good of all, for God is the God of all.

Starting on Sunday, I will begin preaching on Bethel’s core values. I am hoping you will either come to church and hear about what we value or listen in via podcast or download. These two sentences may cause you to yawn or even second guess coming to church but I want to tell you that I am quite excited to be talking about what we hold dear as a church!

Some people think that core values are something we strive after. I don’t. Whether we admit it or not- core values already exists in individuals, corporations and even within the church. Identifying core values isn’t about stating who we want to be. It is quite the opposite, claiming our core values reminds us of who we already are!

There is nothing wrong with changing who you are if something needs changing, but as the tiger found out—changing his stripes was harder than he thought. Thankfully, we aren’t trying to change, we are leaning into who we are as a faith community and who we are as children of God.

If you come to church you will see our core values on the cover of our bulletin. These are the things that Bethel members shared as the most important principles that inform who we are:

• Christ Centered Community: Worship and Fellowship
• We Respond to Needs: Caring for the community and individuals
• Generosity: We share what we have to extend God’s Kingdom
• Hospitality to All: Welcoming all who come to Bethel
• Spiritual Growth: We strive to grow in faith and grow closer to God.

Maybe this doesn’t excite you… this makes my heart go “pitter-patter!” Why? When we can live into how God created us as a church we will grow in faith and foster a deep connection with God. That is why I won’t let this go! This is good for us!

Please join me over the next month to re-discover what makes us tick as a church family.

God bless,
Pr. Ben

I hope you take the time to watch the video above. This comes from our Presiding Bishop of the ELCA; Elizabeth Eaton. This video will be shown at the synod assemblies across the United States, however I believe this is too good not to share with you! Bishop Eaton is reflecting on the future of the ELCA and these are good words for us to ponder. It seems like it is a time to “take stock” of where we are and where God wants us to be in the future.

Starting in June, I will be preaching on the Core Values of Bethel so that we may begin to think about how do we live into the things we value in order that we may make a larger impact in our community for Jesus.

Maybe this video will spark some thoughts and ideas of how we live into our journey together.

God bless you,
Pr. Ben

Last Sunday, I talked about “spiritual light.” You can listen to the sermon here: https://benbergren.com/sermon-lighting-the-way/ .

Having only a limited amount of time on Sunday morning, I can only go so far before someone in the sound booth turns off my microphone. I know you are thankful that there are “checks and balances” at Bethel to prevent me from droning on indefinitely. However, this is the perfect place to go a little deeper!

Jesus said to his critics, “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12). Jesus tells everyone that He will be our fixed point of light in this dark world. If we don’t know where to go or what to do, He promises to guide us. It is also a promise that we will never be alone. All good news, right?!

But how does that work? We all know that Jesus was not talking about a literal light shining in the darkness the way a lighthouse that warns ships to be careful. We need to dig a little deeper to understand what Jesus meant by that. In Psalm 119:105 we read, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” The Psalmist (the person who wrote this) is referring to God’s word and more specifically the wisdom contained within the Bible.

We see that God’s guiding light through Jesus is contained within the scriptures to give us just enough light help us take our next step of life in faith. Yes, we would all love to have our journey lit up like a Christmas tree so that we know what is coming up next until we take our last breathe. But we all know that life (and faith) is not like that. We are given just enough light to take the next step. This is consistent with the prayer we pray every Sunday, “Give us this day our daily bread.” We ask for just enough bread to get through today. The allotment of bread and light seem to be the same. Remember that Jesus also said, “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35) There is a pattern and consistency in scripture! (This always gets my heart pumping when I see things like this!!!)

The question remains: how do we use God’s Word like a lamp for our path? What is it that makes this possible? The Holy Spirit. No, this isn’t some easy “pastor answer” so I can stop writing. Remember I have no word or time limit here. (However, there are some who have already stopped reading, I bet!) Listen to what Paul says about using God word (The Bible) as a lamp and how the Holy Spirit makes that possible.

“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to them, and they cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14

 The lamp only works if there is fuel! The flashlight only operates with a battery! The Holy Spirit is the power behind using God’s word as lamp to discern our next steps.

We can’t just give someone a Bible and say, “this will guide you all the days of your life.” It is “foolishness to them, and they cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Anything from God is foolishness to those who do not believe in Christ. That is not a condemnation or judgment; it is true. God tells us to love those people too- not judge them.

It all begins with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Freely given, freely received. The Holy Spirit allows us to see things that others cannot or refuse to see in this dark world. It would be like receiving night vision goggles at midnight on a cloudy evening. Suddenly you can see! That is what the Holy Spirit allows us to do with God’s word. We cannot only see God’s word but we can make sense of it so that we can take an informed step.

We need what God provides! We need more of the Holy Spirit and we need the discernment to take our next steps in faith.

Understanding gives us the strength to be fearless like a llama… a Jesus loving llama. It is the Holy Spirit that also allows to be like a “spiritual moon” and reflect the Son.

Let us all pray for a greater measure of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Pr. Ben

A Day in the Life of Your Pastor…

Today was the day. Bethel Lutheran School students and staff duct taped me to the “ball wall” on the playground. No, I wasn’t ambushed or held hostage. (However some students asked if I was going to be there all night.) I actually agreed to this. This was a “challenge” to raise $1000 buy books for children who normally would not be able to buy books. In other words, I agreed to do this for a good cause. We raised $1400!

For the past two weeks every time a student saw me they would say, “You are getting taped to a wall!”

I would smile and say, “Only if we raise the money to buy those books.”

Well, you know the rest of the story.

Oh wait… I also was sprayed with Silly String once I was incapacitated.

I am not sure what was more important to the kids—the books or me stuck to a wall.

Honestly it doesn’t matter to me.

Two very important things happened:

1. People pitched in to do something nice for other people (buying books).
2. The students had fun and enjoyed interacting with me, even if it involved duct tape and silly string.

This event reminds me that I am a pastor to everyone. We have a diverse student body and not every student is a Christian (gasp!). I am their pastor too. I have the privilege to be an example of Jesus’ love and hospitality to a wide range of people. I am humbled that I am one of the many faces of Jesus on our campus.

It is not just our school. The same applies to our church. I am not only the pastor of the adults, but of all God’s children: young or old. I enjoy the children’s time on Sunday morning, but I also love spending time at Kid Connection (Sunday School) or with the Confirmation kids—and yes even the “high schoolers” when Tom lets me.

Scholars and those who study such things know that children are more receptive to hear about Jesus and believe than any other age group. I take that to heart. If I can be a person of influence in even one our Bethel students lives, I will be satisfied.

If you attend Bethel, you know that periodically I talk about the importance of and the strengthening of both youth and children’s ministry. We have the ability and opportunity to introduce them to the most important person who ever walked the earth: Jesus.

There is no better job on the planet than telling kids about the love of Jesus. Even more so when you receive a thank you note from a child…

God bless,
Pr. Ben

According to Luke who wrote both The Gospel According to Luke and Acts of the Apostles researched the life of Jesus in order “to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:3-4) Luke investigated the life of Jesus and the ministry of the disciples so that the person Theophilus could confirm the things he already believed.

Luke was also a doctor and a friend of Paul the great theologian and missionary. There are many churches around the world named after both Saint Luke and Saint Paul.

Luke was not an eyewitness to most of the events he records, but talked to those who were present. After the resurrection of Jesus and just moments before His ascension, Luke records that Jesus said this to those present:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Jesus’ final words are words of action. “You will be my witnesses.” Not a lot of choice given the disciples in that moment. Jesus tells them exactly what is next for them. Jesus could have told them lots of things before his return to heaven.

I created a list of things Jesus could have said before his ascension:

• Be theologically correct.
• Take care of yourselves.
• Build lots of buildings.
• Judge people who don’t share the same beliefs and/or moral compass.
• Turn the relationship we have into a set of rules to follow.

I could go on. Jesus doesn’t say any of these things anywhere in the gospel stories about him let alone his final words. Yet it remains he said, “You will be my witnesses…” Hmmmm.

Am I forgetting anything? Oh yeah, Jesus promises something before the whole “be my witness” thing. The Holy Spirit. Jesus promises them the Holy Spirit so that they will have the power to be witnesses. Jesus not only tells them what to do, but then gives them the power to do it.

OK I get it, we are Lutherans and we don’t talk about the Holy Spirit except on Pentecost and maybe Reformation Sunday. Maybe that is the issue! We need more of the Holy Spirit in our lives to accomplish the tasks that Jesus has set before us!

All of us have a measure of the Holy Spirit. We would not be able to believe without it. Let me go out on a limb here and say that it would be permissible to ask our Father in Heaven to give us a larger portion of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name.

If we are struggling with being witnesses for Jesus and would rather be in the witness relocation program than say the name of Jesus to a friend—then we need more of the Holy Spirit.

When Paul (Luke’s friend) wrote Timothy a letter, Paul wrote this, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (1 Timothy 1:6-7)

Paul was talking about the Holy Spirit. God is so good that not only does He give us direction but also gives us the power to accomplish the task.

Pray for a greater portion of the Spirit in your life.

God bless you all,
Pr. Ben

It is Maundy (Commandment) Thursday (as I write this). Later today we will remember the covenant God made with us through His son Jesus. The bread and wine of Holy Communion are the means by which that covenant is experienced. The Lord’s Supper is such a wonderful gift! Every time we gather at the Lord’s Table we are reminded of the radical love of God through simple things like wine and bread.

Tomorrow, we will gather to remember the sacrifice of Jesus that gives power to Holy Communion. We spiritually walk from the upper room where Holy Communion was first served to the disciples to Golgotha where Jesus died on cross for us.

Then we wait…

We wait for Easter morning. A day that brings joy beyond measure! We will gather to be told once again that death is not the end but only the beginning.

Whether you attend Bethel Lutheran Church or you attend church somewhere else, I encourage you to engage your hearts and minds and think about these things.

Also, if you are planning to attend worship this weekend, please read the article below. This is for us regular church “attenders.” I try to do all of this every Sunday…maybe we all should consider doing these things.

 Nine Considerations for Church Members This Easter
By Thom S. Rainer

It will be one of the highest attended days of the year for your church. It may be the highest.

There will be some people you don’t know. Some of them are guests. Others are members who attend infrequently.

You have an opportunity to make a gospel impression on these people with a few simple acts. Indeed, you have an opportunity to make an eternal difference. Here are nine servant actions for you to consider.

1. Pray as you enter the property. Pray for the guests. Pray for the services. Pray for the pastor and the sermon.

2. Park at the most distant spot available. Save the closer parking places for guests.

3. Greet people. They may be guests. They may be members. It’s okay to introduce yourself to either.
4. Look for people to help. You know the place well. Many others will not. Be a guide. Help someone who looks like he or she needs help.
5. Sit as close as possible to the front of the worship center. Save the back rows for guests and late entrants, so they don’t have to walk past so many people.
6. Sit in the middle. Don’t claim that aisle seat where people have to walk over you or past you.
7. Sit closely. Your worship center may be packed. If so, be willing to sit cheek to cheek.
8. Volunteer to serve. As the number of attendees increase, so does the need for volunteers. The parking team, kids ministry, and church greeter ministry are a few of the areas that will need more volunteers to help serve and minister to members and guests.
9. Pray as you leave. The Holy Spirit is likely working in many persons who attended. Pray for His continual work of conviction and comfort.

These are simple acts. They are acts of service. And if you survive doing these acts of kindness and service on Easter, you just might be able to do them on other days of worship as well.

We are almost to Jerusalem…
As “mainline protestants” we are a week away from the season of Lent ending and entering into something called Holy Week. For those who are not a part of a historic liturgical church—church seasons seem odd and out of place because they are not found in the Bible. That point is true. However the reasoning behind church seasons is very Biblical.

Lent is the 40 day season (excluding Sundays) that prepares us for Easter if we choose to engage in the season. Lent is a time to fast, reflect and pray over our need for God in our lives. Dependence on God is very Biblical.

Why 40 days? 40 is the expanse of years the people of Israel wandered in the desert before settling in Canaan (soon to become Israel). 40 is the number of days Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and praying before he began his ministry with the disciples. At the end of those 40 days, Satan tempted Jesus when he was at his weakest.

We too, can use what is left of these 40 days to prepare for the greatest event in human history: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection wasn’t for himself or to seek attention; He did those things for us. God’s unbelievable love for humanity is the source of his sacrifice.

But like I said, we are almost to Jerusalem. A week from Sunday we will be celebrating and remembering Jesus arrival for the Passover in the capital city of Israel where the temple of God was located. Many pilgrims made there way to Jerusalem for the Passover meal and to celebrate within the walls of this city as a way of remembering their freedom from Pharaoh in Egypt from so many years ago. (Think Moses, the plagues and the Red Sea crossing from the book of Exodus).

It is in this setting that Jesus arrives on what we call Palm Sunday. But it also the day that they are instructed by the Jewish Law to select a lamb for the sacrifice and the meal. “Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.” Exodus 12:3

 The pilgrims and the residents of Jerusalem would leave the city and go out to purchase a yearling lamb on the day Jesus arrives. It is a day of celebration and joy. There would be thousands of people outside of Jerusalem securing their lamb for Passover from shepherds in the surrounding hills. It was also customary to recite the Hallel during this week. The Hallel is a prayer/song of praise. Specifically, the Hallel is Psalm 113-118.

Why is this important? Because these words are found within the Hallel: “O Lord, save us (Hosanna); O Lord, grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.” Psalm 118:25-27

 Some of the very words the gospels quote as Jesus enters the city. Notice that the psalm mentions having “boughs in hand” and a parade up to the altar at the temple. The people had palm branches as their “boughs.” As people purchased their lambs, they would then proceed to the temple to symbolically present them to the priest only to return in 4 days to have the lamb sacrificed for the Passover meal.

Jesus does the same thing. He arrives and presents himself at the temple only he tips over the tables of the moneychangers and those selling doves as a sign of God’s displeasure knowing that in a few short days, he too would sacrifice his life for humanity.

Remember the words of John the Baptist, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29b

 Palm Sunday is the beginning to a very Holy Week, yet Palm Sunday itself is full of symbolism and meaning.

As we come to the end of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week, let us not forget about the Lamb of God who is blameless and pure who offers himself as a sacrifice for our very souls.

As Passover is a celebration of freedom from captivity, Jesus’ death and resurrection is freedom from sin and estrangement from God.

God bless,
Pr. Ben