More than 2000 years ago, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a colt. His fame had preceded Him and crowds were gathered waving palm branches and laying them on the ground. Many believed He was the Messiah and were ready to be liberated by a great military leader. The weight of what Friday would bring surely diminished this moment of adoration and celebration for the Savior. It must have been nice, though, just for a moment, for God the Son to receive the praise of which He is most deserving.
Pondering this Palm Sunday, I am reminded how often I have had a "mountain top" experience only to be let down by a person or situation or myself almost instantly. How often does temptation come to interfere with God's blessing or our testimony? How quickly disappointment and discontentment rob us of the victory Christ secured just days after Palm Sunday.
The mountain top is not where we learn our lessons. It is where we take our rest. "In this world there will be trouble" is my least favorite phrase in the Bible. It is the promise of difficulty and tragedy and trauma. Fortunately, the rest of John 16:33 is another promise from the Savior's own lips: "But, take heart, I have overcome the world."
We are overcomers because Jesus is. The work is done. Our eternity is secured. Our sins are forgiven and we can go before the Throne of Grace in bold humility because Jesus did not remain on the mountain top of His adoring public that first Palm Sunday centuries ago...He, as God, went through the Valley of the Cross, so there is no valley He cannot see us through. He is the Resurrection. He is the Way. He is the Truth. He is the Life. Trust Him on the mountain top, but even more in the valley.
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