Hope

There is one week in the Christian calendar that we think of as so holy that we actually call it, “Holy Week.” Palm Sunday begins the week with a remembrance of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, as crowds of people came out to meet him, hoping that he was the messiah and they sang hymns to him.

Jesus knew that he was riding into the jaws of death. He had spoken of his death many times on his journey to Jerusalem. His disciples heard it, but couldn’t bring themselves to believe it, that their teacher and friend was about to die at the hands of the Roman occupying forces.

It was much later that the disciples began to piece together the significance of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was just too much for the world to handle, the incarnation of God. The fact that God’s love and healing was poured into one human being was unbelievable to some. The fact that love was nailed to a cross was too much for others to even consider.

Yet, this remains our proclamation, two thousand years later. There’s been much made in the media lately because people claiming to be atheists are buying ads in newspapers and on public transit promoting their view, that there is no God, so relax and live your life. I can’t help but respond, there is a God, so relax and live your life.

It is true that church attendance is dropping off significantly in the western world, but recent studies also show that faith in God is not declining. That’s right, faith is not declining. By the time Jesus was arrested his closest followers thought that all was lost. They didn’t expect the resurrection. Will we be caught unaware too? Faith is alive. Jesus is alive and lives in you.