Palm Sunday marks a dramatic shift in the ministry of Jesus.

For years, He operated in a way to avoid public recognition often instructing those He healed to stay quiet and slipping away when crowds or authorities got riled up. He consistently avoided the public spotlight to ensure His mission wasn't derailed by political uprisings. However, as He rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, the veil of secrecy was finally lifted.

This was Jesus' definitive public acknowledgement of His identity. By choosing a donkey, He was not just picking a mode of transport; he was living out prophecy. Jesus was deliberately fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9: "See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey. On a colt, the foal of a donkey." In this moment, He wasn't just a teacher or a miracle worker; He was the long-awaited King of Israel. The crowds understood the gravity of the gesture, spreading cloaks and palm branches on the ground before Him—symbols of royalty and victory—while shouting "Hosanna," a plea for salvation. Jesus finally allowed a public acknowledgement of who He was, and what He had come to do.

Beyond the political and royal implications, there is a profound prophetic layer regarding the timing of this entry. When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, it was the 10th of the month of Nisan. According to Jewish law and tradition, this day was the day families selected the Passover lamb. This lamb would be kept in the home, inspected to ensure it was without blemish.

As the Jewish people were busy selecting physical lambs for their earthly tradition, God was presenting the ultimate Lamb to the nation. Over the following days, Jesus would be "inspected" through rigorous questioning by the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Roman authorities, none of whom could find a "blemish" or a legitimate charge against him. As we see in the trial of Jesus, Pilate says “I find no basis for a charge against Him.” Later, when the crowd refuses to let up their demands that Jesus be crucified, Pilate washes his hands of the whole situation.
 
Palm Sunday represents the intersection of royal declaration and sacrificial preparation. Jesus transitioned from the hidden Messiah to the public King, fully aware that his coronation would not be on a gold throne, but on a wooden cross. He offered himself to the people as both their King and their sacrifice, stepping into what the law and the prophets had pointed to for so long, in one humble procession.

So much was revealed that day, and yet, there was still so much to be revealed even to the apostles, those closest to Jesus. It wasn’t until after Jesus’ resurrection that He walked with them and finally opened their eyes to all that the Scriptures said about Him and all that He fulfilled.

We ourselves go through a similar process, where the existence of Jesus is undeniable as a historical fact. But knowing about Jesus is not the same as recognizing Him as LORD. The Pharisees knew about Jesus and what He had done. But it was the crowds that cried “Hosanna!” to the king they wanted to save them. Likewise, knowing who Jesus is does not bring salvation to you. We see multiple accounts of demons recognizing who Jesus is but they are still against Him. (Jesus also silences them in those moments to avoid them telling people of who He is.)

To put your faith in Jesus means to be devoted to Him, to walk daily with Him and follow His ways. We are blessed beyond measure to have such a beautiful truth made plain to us through His revealed Word. A blessing those on the road outside Jerusalem saw only a glimpse of. A blessing we now see in full and should not take for granted.

Years ago, I realized I saw God through very jaded lenses.

 When I read the Bible, I would default to questioning God’s justice and righteousness until He proved me wrong. Though I’m reticent to say it, I really saw God as an aloof, unjust, unfair God who sat up in a throne room watching the world burn or, even worse in my eyes, causing it. 

 My bias infected my reading as every verse that contained something that I didn’t understand, like Jobs suffering or the murder of the Canaanite people, made me question God’s character. This led me to develop a very unhealthy and untrue view of Him. Doubt of His historical goodness soon followed with me pushing Him away in my own present life. 


 Romans 8:7 “The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God”

But one day, through God’s work alone, I came to the realization that I had this bad default. I don’t remember exactly why I decided to do it, perhaps it was studying something I didn’t understand and coming to a deeper knowledge of the Lord’s love or justness, but I realized I was wearing these jaded glasses and that I needed to take them off. 

They were holding me back from running to the Father and wrapping my arms around him. From receiving His great and immeasurable love for me that he had proven again and again and again in my life. 

My lack of faithfulness did not affect His. As the Word says in 2 Timothy, “…if we are faithless, He remains faithful for He cannot deny Himself”. My faith would never move forward, as proven at the time, until my default view of God was dealt with. So I determined to change and to try my best to read God’s Word defaulting to these truths: God is good. God loves me. 


John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him”

Thanks be to God that He helped me to see it and do something about it. 

For as Romans 8 says, “The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God”. Yes, I am free of the flesh’s grip on me, but without God’s ongoing work, would quickly embrace it again. 

How quickly the choice began to bless me as I opened to the book of Genesis and read of God’s love and faithfulness to us. His love when he spared us. When He removed Adam and Eve so that he could start a great plan of redemption. That He was a God who held evil to account and dealt with the injustice of the world and so I could trust Him with the injustice in my own life. A God who didn’t sit aloof in heaven but close on a cross on earth. 

I didn’t have to stop asking any of my questions. I didn’t have to walk in blind faith or ignorant religion. But, oh, how kind He was to bare my weakness. 

Then upon seeing Him as He truly is, how sweet was His embrace.

James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

A new adventure has begun! Why don’t we give it a broad general name for now… how about “2026?”

Let’s look down the road to see what’s ahead….. Hmm, mine is shrouded in fog…nope, it’s snow. I can’t see much at all! How about you?

I’m feeling a little wary. I like to see where I’m going!

In the winter I’m the one cleaning the snow off my car. Not just the windows. The entire car. Yes, even the roof! While driving I can turn on the defrost—both front and rear windows—without looking at the buttons! If my vision is compromised as I’m driving, due to fog, rain, snow, etc., the defrost and intermittent windshield wipers are turned on. I need to see where I’m going!

However, no matter how much I want to see where I’m going on the road of life, I really don’t have much control over it.

The annual family birthdays, anniversaries and gatherings are expected. I’ve marked the little squares of my wall calendar with all the provincial, federal and usual Christian holidays—Easter, Victoria Day, Labour Day, Christmas Day and so on. Visits to family and friends are anticipated.

Of course, last year I marked up my calendar with all the expected, anticipated and hoped for events as well. I do it every year. Unfortunately, just because they’re written on the calendar doesn’t guarantee they will happen.

But, this 2026 adventure has begun! And it will continue to unfold whether or not my calendar is marked. Regardless of holidays, visits and celebrations. 

I will dream and plan and imagine as I always do. That’s part of the excitement of a new adventure. Isn’t it?

And more importantly, I’ll talk to my best Friend about my dreams and plans and imaginings. I’m sure He’ll chuckle at a few of them. In my mind’s eye I can see Him smile as He nods and winks at me. You see, God knows exactly what’s ahead on the road. His vision is not shrouded by anything.

There may be some difficulties ahead, some things I wouldn’t have hoped for.

The good news is that God will not be surprised by anything waiting ahead on my road—or yours. He will be with us every step of the way to help us navigate and journey through any difficulty, any heartache. Just ask Him!

He’s also a Father who loves to surprise us with unexpected blessings! I wonder what He has up His sleeve for us this year!

Hmm, the visibility still isn’t great…but I’m not feeling as wary now. Always good to remember that even though the road is enveloped in fog, we are enveloped in our Heavenly Father’s arms—safe and secure.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16

While we often associate love with warm feelings, festive gatherings, or even a favourite food. The Bible speaks of a world-altering action. John 3:16, easily the most well-known verse in Scripture, serves as the ultimate definition of what it means to be loved by God and how we, in turn, are called to love others.

The verse begins with "For God so loved..." This tells us that love did not begin with us; it began with The Creator.

During Advent, we remember that God decided to seek us while we were still far from Him. The world was in darkness, broken by sin, yet God’s love was proactive by coming down to us in the flesh. He did not wait for us to turn towards Him, He did not require a minimum level of "goodness" from us. We were totally unworthy. And yet, His love was so overwhelming that He intentionally gave Himself for all.

"...that He gave His one and only Son." True love is measured by what it is willing to sacrifice.

When Mary was visited and Jesus was conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit, God gave the most precious gift possible.

Advent is a season of gift-giving, but it is also a season of sacrifice. Jesus left the perfection of heaven to enter the mess of humanity. He swapped a throne for a feeding trough. A crown of glory for a crown of thorns. 

When we reflect on John 3:16, we see that love is synonymous with generosity. It asks, "What can I give?" rather than "What can I get?" To love as God loves is to be willing to pour ourselves out for the sake of another. God offers this free gift not only without expecting anything in return, but knowing that we have nothing within ourselves that we even can offer.

John writes that God loved "the world." It is easy to love those who love us back—our families, our friends, and the neighbours we like. But the love of John 3:16 reaches "whoever" trusts in Christ.

It is an invitation that is not limited, but open to all those who would accept it.
 
The promise of this love is that we "shall not perish but have eternal life." The love of God is not just for the present moment; it is for eternity. It provides a hope that outlasts the holiday season and a peace that transcends our circumstances. God’s love goes beyond even our own imagination. His love for each one of us is not based on a single moment but factors in an eternity of human decisions. Being able to see the beginning from the end, He still chose to sacrifice Himself for us. 

This Christmas season, celebrate the only true unconditional love found in this world

....the love that was born humbly in a manger

...lived a perfect sinless life

...died a death He didn’t deserve
 
so that you and I might have a way to be reconciled to The Creator of the entire universe.

To live and reign with Him in newness of life forever, amen.

Joy is something we can obtain all the time or at anytime.

We shouldn’t get it confused with happiness.

Joy comes from within and this is from God Himself.
 
Like when parents of a newborn baby are filled with an unexplainable joy.
Joy also fills us when we invite Jesus into our hearts.
When we are baptized in Him.
When we witness two becoming one at a wedding, we see the joy in the couple.
When we focus and dwell on the Lord, we feel joy.

Happiness comes and goes.
   It’s so exciting when we get a new car.
  When we get a promotion or raise we’re happy we’ll have more money to pay our bills and buy more stuff.
  For many weeks, or years, we look forward with happiness to that longed-for vacation.

But, the car will get old.
In time the promotion or raise won’t be enough.
After a week or two the vacation will be over.
And the happiness disappears.

Happiness comes from external circumstances.
But joy comes from God through Jesus.

We can always have joy in many different circumstances.
But it’s hard to be happy in difficult times.

Joy seems to include relationships each time. Happiness, not so much.

So, to grab hold of joy in our lives, look to the One who promises joy along with peace and love and hope.

When we walk with Jesus we can obtain both joy and happiness at the same time but happiness will come and go.

Joy remains.

In the beginning Adam and Eve knew God and walked with him. They talked to God and participated in caring for the world God had made. Adam and Eve were without sin. There was no conflict, no barrier, nothing between them. Nothing getting in the way of them knowing and loving God. Their hearts were whole. 

They were at peace with God.  

On that day when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, God came looking for them. Seeking out the people he loved. Adam and Eve knew they had done wrong. They had gone against God. So they hid. Now this fruit, this disobedience, was between them and God. 

Now, as fallen people, they couldn’t walk with God in the mornings. They couldn’t share in his glorious garden. Couldn’t enjoy the fruit of the garden. There was no longer access to the tree of life. 

The tree of the knowledge and good and evil came between them and God. A barrier between them knowing and loving God.

Adam, Eve and their descendants now only knew life outside of the garden, where God was distant and sin reigned in their hearts. They no longer had peace. 

There were those who followed God, who God revealed himself to, beacons of hope of what was to come, but still a stark reality of what was. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt yet the chaos in their hearts came with them. God set up the temple and offerings so his people could be close to him again, but because of the sin in their hearts, the sin of the tree became a physical curtain and hung between the Israelites and the presence of God. 

A covenant of peace was made with God, surely there would be peace now.

Israel broke the covenant.

They were not at peace with God.

They went through kings, judges and prophets and yet the chaos continued in their hearts.  
For so long they had sought out peace. They completely lost sight of what peace was or felt like, the garden was too far removed. 

So they did what was right in their own eyes. Forging worldly peace with nations around them, fleeting  peace based on temporal circumstances and fickle people. There was no true peace. 

Satan was pleased that the world did not understand the importance of peace with God. They looked only to earthly peace and not peace with God.

Amongst the chaos of Roman rule, census and barn animals, cries of peace rang out through the night. Not from Israelites or Romans or priests. Cries of a baby boy that is himself peace. Cries from one who would talk with the Father in a garden. Who would care for the Father’s world. Who had no sin, no barriers, nothing separating him from God. This was Jesus. 

Jesus’ followers didn’t understand this peace. Israelites expected their saviour to bring earthly peace then, in that place. 

But Jesus didn’t come to bring temporal peace for the Israelites. 

Jesus came to bring peace between man and God 

On Golgotha the tree that stood in the way was overcome by the tree that Jesus died on. The curtain that stood in the way between worshipers and the presence of God was ripped right in two. Torn wide open by the sacrifice Jesus made. 

Now, there need not be anything in the way of man and God. By the blood of the Lamb, we can be clean, the sin washed away. Wrapped in the cloak of his purity, his innocence, nothing stands between the believer and God. 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”

The peace that Jesus gives is peace with the Father. 

Peace with the Father moves deeper than just the cessation of sin between us. This peace is wonderfully more; it is being made whole again. It is is moving from death to life abundant. Because of Jesus we can walk with God, talk with him and participate in his kingdom work. We are heirs with Jesus.

Jesus is the way to true peace. There is no other way to the Father besides him.
 

As we live in gratitude for the peace with God that we have, we still live amongst the continuing chaos and sin around us. We look forward to the time when all sin and brokenness will be done and silenced forever. We anticipate the day when the kingdom of “here and not yet” becomes the kingdom of “here and forever.”

We do not hang our heads in despair, for we know that God is not dead and does not sleep. The wrong will fail, Christ will prevail, with peace eternal.”

“Do you like waiting? Waiting in line? Waiting for traffic? Waiting for the kids. Waiting on your spouse? Maybe you’re waiting for that dream job. Or you’re waiting while you dream of getting out of that job. 

Perhaps you’re waiting for healing…a touch from the Almighty. Or waiting to hear his voice. Waiting for direction. Or waiting due to His inaction. To change something in your life or the life of someone you know. To change the laws of the land or the culture of the day. You wait for a life changed, a soul to be saved. 

What are you waiting for?

It sure is hard to hope for something and have to endure while you wait. How long Lord? How long until you answer or move? Ever been there? You’re not alone.

Proverbs 13:12
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

The writer in Proverbs seems to agree that waiting a long time for something makes you sick but when it is fulfilled it brings renewal and life. 

For over 400 years the Israelites waited. Waited in abject humiliation. Waited as the once mighty and beautiful nation of Israel slowly eroded by other powers stronger and mightier than them. The people were subjected. Jerusalem now a shadow of its former self, the beauty of its faith tarnished and mocked.

They waited for a saviour but they had waited for so long. Will he ever come? Will we ever see it? Does God even see us anymore? Maybe we have it wrong. Maybe we’ll never see it. Their hearts, once filled with such hope, slowly brought into deep hearted sickness. Was there anyone who still hoped?

Luke 2:25-32
“There was a man in Jerusalem by the name of Simeon. He was a good man and very religious. He was looking for the time when the Jewish nation would be saved. The Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit made it known to Simeon that he would not die before he had seen God’s Chosen One. He came to the house of God being led by the Holy Spirit. The parents took Jesus to the house of God. They came to do what the Law said must be done. Then Simeon took Jesus in his arms. He gave honour to Him and thanked God, saying, ‘Lord, now let me die in peace, as You have said. My eyes have seen the One Who will save men from the punishment of their sins. You have made Him ready in the sight of all nations. He will be a light to shine on the people who are not Jews. He will be the shining-greatness of Your people the Jews.’”

Simeon had hope. He had a promise. Not only the promise of God through the prophets but a personal promise that He was coming soon. And boy, I think it filled his veins with life! It filled his heart with strength. His mind was focused. It wasn’t long now!

I bet every day he jumped out of bed in the morning, whistled in the shower, whipped on his robe and bound into the temple. Was it today? Was it right now? When will I see him, he must have asked himself. Giddy with joy he picked up every child and shook every hand.

“There goes Simeon again.” They said. “Doesn’t he know Israel is in shambles? Doesn’t he know it’s all over? The smoke of the altar has gotten to him, I think.”

But nope! Simeon had Hope and more than that, he had a longing. And it was about to be fulfilled.

The first candle is aptly called the Hope candle. It represents the words of the prophets and the hope of the coming messiah. But as we light it today, let’s remember Simeon. Let’s remember he was given a promise, a renewed hope and so too have we.

A promise that the same Jesus that came in the form of a baby to fulfill prophecies, who lived and died and rose to life, will one day return to take us home in glory. It’s been over 2000 years, over four times what the Jews waited. When it gets tiring and your heart grows sick, remember that it’s not long now. Not only has God given you His written, prophetic word that he will come back, but like Simeon, he has personally revealed it to you when you met him and received him into your life. He keeps the hope alive through his spirit as you eagerly await his return.

So do you like waiting? Probably not. But like Simeon, let’s wait well. Let’s jump out of bed every morning, eagerly awaiting the Lord with great hope until that blessed day when we can say:

“Now Master you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you have promised. For my eyes have seen your salvation.”

Lord, I look into Your Word. And in it I see people that left everything. Absolutely everything that made them anything to becoming something in Your kingdom.

Some gave up their jobs. Some gave up their money. Some gave up their families. Some gave up their lives. All of them gave up their time.

However, though I can see what others did, I don’t know what to do myself.

I feel like You have a call on my life. I feel like You want all of me. But I’m not sure I can give You that.

What happens if I lose my job?

      What happens if I can’t follow through?

            What happens if a war breaks out?

                  What happens if the economy tanks?

                        What if I can’t take the stress?

I’ve worked so hard to build up my life. My bank account has finally gotten ahead. I finally feel I have some things figured out.

But I have never been in a place where I feel as empty as I do right now.

I feel like I’ve gained everything but I’ve lost you.

So, what Lord do I need to do? What are You asking me to do? Please Lord, I do not want to enter into Your presence one day and have to say to You, “I’m sorry I didn’t go with You”.

Help me to know what it means for me to respond to Your call.

       
        I’ve worshipped on the mountain top.
        I’ve worshipped where I felt him not.
       When I jumped up and raised my hands,
       When I fell to my knees in the driest lands.

       To bow in worship and raise him up,
       He deserves it all, he really does.
       What do I bring? My works? My deeds?
       Does his power and ability depend on me?

        Not one man can make him more,
       Because he came long before.
       But he loved me, sought me, my soul he redeemed,
       And set my feet near refreshing streams.

       
       His waters brought new life to me.
       They washed away the dirt, the grime.
       Forgave every turning, every one of mine.

       He says to me, “I need you not!
       But I want you fully. It is you I bought.
       With precious blood. It cost my son.
       The cost was high. I held back none”.

       What can I say?
       What can I utter to this King?
       As I look on, I realize there is nothing I bring.

       As I sit in my weakness, he raises my chin.
       He looks at me and asks me to sing.
       Give me your voice, your feet, your hands.
       Worship me fully, with all that you can.