Emily is coming home! Emily is coming home! After 5 weeks of traveling in India with my mom, my two favorite ladies are coming home this week and I am so excited. I have already begun preparing Emily’s favorite foods, and now I am thinking of how to greet them at the airport. Me, in amongst the crowd of people, all waiting for their special people to come through the sliding doors ... should I take flowers? Maybe balloons? Or maybe a huge banner that says “Hooray, you’re home!” What will demonstrate how happy I am?

As I think of the crowd of people at the airport, each waiting with excitement and anticipation for their loved ones to arrive, I can’t help but think of the crowd of people that gathered on the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem (check it out). This crowd gathered not see a bunch of different people but to see one person, and that one person was Jesus. The Messiah!

Imagine if you were there in Jerusalem all those many years ago. The Passover was being celebrated – a celebration of thankfulness to God for bringing God’s people out of Egyptian captivity. So Jerusalem was an incredibly busy place with people filling the streets. It was also a time, however, when the Israelites were under oppression from the Roman government and they were anxiously waiting for God to send them a deliverer – another Moses or David.

As Jesus enters into the city the people begin to cry “Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest”. They had heard of Jesus’ great wisdom and miracles. Others were there when He had fed the five thousand with only a few fishes and loaves of bread. This must be the man who would save them!

The crowds took the cloaks off their backs and spread them on the road. They waved branches, cheering “Hosanna, in the highest”. Their shout of “Hosanna” was a shout of “Save us”.

But as we know, Jesus did not come to save them from their political oppression. He came to rescue them from their sins.

As we enter into the Easter story this week, know that this man of power and presence – Jesus the Christ – came not only for those in the crowed streets of Jerusalem, but He came for you and for me.

On Sunday as we wave palm branches to the King of Kings, we know that Jesus came to rescue us from our sins. As we sing “Hosanna in the highest” we, like the crowd in Jerusalem, are singing “Save us”. However, unlike the crowd that gathered that day, we have the assurance that when we surrender and commit our lives to the king, Jesus will save us!

Hosanna!

We invite you to take part in all the Easter services and activities at Amberlea:

Maundy Thursday, Communion Service, 7 p.m.
Good Friday service, 11 a.m. Childcare provided for children up to age 7.
Easter Breakfast, 9 a.m. Please contact Kathy Jackson or Lynda Burke on Sunday.
Easter Worship Service, 11 a.m.

Take in the richness of this season