What a strange season of human history, and yet not one that wasn’t anticipated by this Holy Week. Indeed, the occasion of this Holy Week circumscribes this seeming season of fear and panic by the hope that God stooped down and became human in Christ for us. On this Sunday, Palm Sunday, we remember the day that Jesus finally allowed Himself to be recognized, by the masses, as the King of Israel; the promised Messiah; the son of David; as King of kings and Lord of lords. How did he do that? Not with pomp and bombastic egoism, but upon a lowly donkey; just as He was ushered into this world through a donkey ride, in Mary’s womb, so He was ushered into His time of Passion upon an unbecoming donkey. This is the character of the living and Holy God on display for all to see; He is so humble, loving, and full of grace that He is willing to make Himself vulnerable to the point of being seen as a mere (even crazy) man. But this is the character of the Christian God, and there ought to be no mistaking that just because He is willing to make Himself this vulnerable for us, likewise, it is His willing that controls the narrative of His reality for us. If He did not love us as much as ‘He loves Himself’ (to press a TF Torrance anecdote), He would never had shown up; He would have left us in our sins, only to dissolve into the oblivion our sins have set in motion vis-à-vis God.

As we reflect upon the depth dimension of Palm Sunday, and this Holy Week in particular, we ought to find great comfort in knowing that this is not something that happened in abstraction from what the world is currently facing. This plague, COVID – 19, has unleashed a depth of fear of panic upon this world that is hard to quantify. I’d like to suggest that a positive that this virus has injected into the world, is that it reminds everyone that they are but mortals; that they will indeed die someday. This is one of the effects my cancer (DSRCT) had upon me. My cancer was incurable, and thus unless God miraculously intervened, it would have been terminal (statistically). More collectively, for those in the world who have felt, maybe, immortal, up until this point, this virus can be a great gift; that is if it is understood from within the cross of Jesus Christ. As Peter and Isaiah press ‘by Christ’s strips are we healed.’ In other words, Christ’s life for us, as God’s Bread of Life for us, within its brokenness, their comes new life; a new creation. As Christ actively gave His life up for us, as He passively, like a lamb to be slaughtered, silently gave His life for us; through this cracked shell, the Light of God shown through, and in this light, in the resurrection, God’s power was unleashed anew and afresh with the result that no lame virus could threaten His Kingdom; or those participant in it, by the grace of adoption, in and through the vicarious humanity and God’s Yes in Jesus Christ. You see, this resurrection power is operative in our lives, in this world system, even now; as the Apostle Paul asserts: “today is the Day of salvation!” This is the hope of Palm Sunday.

If you are feeling afraid, panicky, depressed, and uncertain of the future; take heart, Jesus has overcome the world. If the cold you have, the allergies you are suffering with, or even if you are battling through the coronavirus currently, if any of these things, and all of the attendant fallout, is causing you abysmal fear and anxiety; know that the reality of Palm Sunday, the reality of King Jesus has swept in through the breath of the Holy Spirit, and made all things new. If death could not hold Jesus down, and if we were in Christ, as all humanity was (and is!) [cf. Rom 6], then death cannot hold us down. The Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world [selah] broke into our fallen humanity, and created a new thing. This is the hope that Palm Sunday introduces us to. Place your hope in the stripes of Jesus Christ’s tattered body for you, you will not be disappointed this Palm Sunday if you do; for our God does not disappoint. This is the hope I am looking to currently.

Certainly, I have been experiencing my own fears and anxieties because of this lame virus. I don’t want to die; I didn’t want to die when I had cancer; and I don’t want to die now; indeed, I never want to die! I wasn’t created to die, I was created to live eternally within the womb of the triune God; within the fellowship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and so, I will (and do). This is where I am attempting to rest during this Holy Week; and every week. Jesus’s life story isn’t simply a “Bible story” back then; the story of Christ’s life back then, is His story for us now. This is true because He lives; because He is risen; because He is risen indeed! Christ’s life offers living bread from heaven for the world. This is my hope this Holy Week. The policies, the stimuluses, the scientists, and the world leaders are not my hope during this time of panic and fear; the risen Christ, and His power therefrom is my hope. Not that He doesn’t bring healing and work through the broken structures and peoples of the world, but they aren’t the hope; He is! This is what I am letting Palm Sunday do to me; I am letting it reiterate, once again, that Jesus is Lord and King, and I am not. I only say this by the faith of Christ, because in my flesh I am overwhelmed with fear and trembling at the prospects facing this world system. Love you, Lord Jesus. Please come, and come quickly! Not by might, nor by power, but by Your Spirit; saith You, Lord!