“As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51)

Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, the day when we remember the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We read about this in Matt 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44 and John 12:12-19, and we often comment on the fickleness of the crowds (shouting acclamation and praise on the Sunday but baying for His blood by the end of the week) and the humility of the King in riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling prophecy but underlining for us the nature of God’s kingdom and how it radically differs from the ways of the world, with Jesus choosing humility and submission instead of arrogance and personal exaltation.

Yet I am drawn today to a Scripture tucked away in Luke’s Gospel way before the excited bustle and organisational excellence of Palm Sunday, a verse which reminds us that nothing happens without the right attitude or without steadfast commitment: “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51)

Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He alone knew what lay head: the suffering, the rejection, the betrayal, the agony of bearing our sin, the pain He would have to endure. Some versions of the Bible describe ‘resolutely’ as ‘setting His face like flint.’ This was no whim, no fad, no impulse. Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. There was determination, steadfastness, a commitment to God’s plan of salvation which started way before the time of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed for God’s will, not His own, to be done.

Jesus did not arrive in Jerusalem on a donkey by chance. His life was not a random series of events. He resolutely determined to do life God’s way and to embrace God’s purposes and plans. The song ‘My Way’ would never have been found on Jesus’s lips.

Commitment to God’s ways is costly: it cost Jesus His life. It will be costly for us too, perhaps, in different ways. But with resolute determination and unwavering trust in God, we too can journey on in life with inner strength and steadfast determination. Palm Sunday was another stage in the journey of Jesus towards crucifixion and death. We acknowledge that the One who comes in the name of the Lord is blessed and we seek to follow, always, in His footsteps.

My grandchildren are at the age when they love fairy tales with their stories of princesses, knights in shining armour and wicked witches. Disney’s version of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ has the valiant Prince Phillip battle the evil fairy Maleficent who turns into a fierce dragon, overcoming her with the sword of truth. Dragons are mythical creatures associated with cunning, fire and deception; there is little wonder that the devil himself is described in Revelation 12:3 as ‘an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.’

We must never dismiss the allegory and imagery of Revelation as somehow being untrue because it engages our imagination and may not describe truth in a totally literal way. The power of the imagination to understand good and evil should not be underestimated. Revelation 12 speaks to us of the spiritual warfare described elsewhere throughout the Bible (Genesis 3, where Satan is described as a crafty serpent; Isaiah 14, where we see the fall of Lucifer; Ephesians 6:10-20, where Paul vividly describes the nature of the spiritual battle with which we are engaged.) It shows us much about the nature, activities and accusations of our enemy, for the devil loves to accuse, deceive, lead astray and lie. This chapter describes for us Satan’s hatred of the child born to save the world and his antipathy towards the people of God (symbolised by the woman), but it also shows us that God’s forces for good will triumph (Michael and his angels are much more powerful than Disney’s Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, who nonetheless give Phillip the weapons he needs to defeat Maleficent!)

Rev 12:11 gives us hope that God’s people (which includes us!) will ultimately triumph. Victory is assured because of the blood of the Lamb, reminding us that we have a great high priest who advocates for us no matter what the accusations against us (‘there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’, as Rom 8:1 reminds us) and through the word of our testimony. The sword of truth in our hands is powerful; when we speak God’s word, the devil cannot stand. We can cheer as loudly as the child who watches good triumph over evil in a film; our God is the victor and we are victors with Him!

I read a quote from Eugene Peterson this week which said, “Our worship restores us to a wholeness that keeps us sane in the midst of bedlam, joyous in the face of doom’ (‘On Living Well’), and like so many of words, that was like an arrow to my heart.

Bedlam was a Victorian hospital for the mentally ill, and came to symbolise the chaos and terror of insanity, the place where all the horror of the world was gathered together, not so much to cure people as to remove them from sight. The word has come to mean chaos and confusion, and life often feels chaotic and confused, lacking clarity. It is easy to feel overwhelmed navigating this morass of duplicity and moral ambiguity. But worship, when we refocus our attention on God, restores sanity to us. It’s as if our vision is restored from the upside-down retinal images of the newborn to the right-way-up world designed by God where He reigns and where eternity is once again factored into our daily living.

Joy in the face of doom is the other aspect of worship mentioned by Eugene Peterson. When we worship, perspective is restored and we can receive the supernatural joy and peace promised by Jesus instead of the doom predicted by politicians, media and other nay-sayers. Worship reminds us of the promises God gives us, promises of a new heaven and a new earth; it reminds us that resurrection is possible, so even death does not have the last word.

Wholeness, sanity and joy – what blessings are these!

Guest speaker Joy Gascoigne spoke from the book of Philippians tonight, teaching on how to ride the roller-coaster of life. We can feel that life is very much like a roller-coaster with its slow ascents and rapid descents, but Paul (writing this letter from prison) is able to give us valuable advice in each chapter.

Chapter 1 speaks of His confidence in God’s faithfuflness and reliability (Phil 1:6). Nowadays, there is a crisis of trust in many institutions (the police, in government etc.) but Paul is confident that He who began a good work in each person will carry that work on to completion. God is always, always faithful and can be trusted, no matter what our personal circumstances.

Chapter 2 reminds us that we must remember to look outward, having the same attitude as Christ Jesus and looking to the needs of other people and not just ourselves. In times of crisis, our natural instinct is to protect ourselves, but we have to learn to live according to God’s attitudes and principles. Nor is life simply about our preferences: Paul would doubtless have preferred not to be in a Roman prison, but he was content whatever his circumstances because he had a big goal that the proclamation of the gospel was the most important thing in his life.

Chapter 3 reminds us to keep looking forward, laying aside our past (both the good days and not-so-good days) and pressing forwards towards Christ. Paul had many things he could be proud of (including his preaching and the way God used him as an apostle) but he would also remember the pain of desertion (Demas) and the difficulties when team members became ill (Trophimus.) We must learn to leave the past behind, because we cannot change it; we must release it to God and move forward.

Chapter 4 reminds us of the importance of thankfulness. Thanksgiving and praise make us bigger than our circumstances and better than our feelings. Paul rejoiced greatly in the Lord, even in prison, and taught us to rejoice always.

Garry spoke this morning from Gen 45:21-25. Gen 45:24 gives us Joseph’s advice to his brothers, literally ‘as you travel, do not be overcome by fear.’ Perhaps his brothers thought that once Jacob was in Egypt, Joseph would take his revenge on them. Fear can be positive, preserving us from danger, preventing harm and keeping us safe, but fear can also be something which controls us and restrains us in a negative way. It can act as a cage to imprison us, as a blockage to the purposes of God. So often, when God speaks to us, fear arises, but at that point, we have a choice. God wants us, like Joshua, to choose to be strong and courageous rather than to give way to fear (see Josh 1:1-9).

That was a turning point in Israel’s history. Joshua knew that God wanted His people to enter the Promised Land, but when the spies had previously gone in, the report ten of them gave was negative, laced with fear. (Numbers 13:26-14:9) The people of God chose to ignore Caleb and Joshua and believe the negative reports; they chose fear over faith. Joshua, however, chose the way of faith and went in to take control of the land.

Whenever God speaks, we have a choice: to listen to God or to listen to the voice of fear. Ps 56:1-4 reminds us that when we are afraid, we should trust in God. David knew what it was to fear. He was persecuted by Saul; later, the Amalekites raided Ziklag and took all his womenfolk and property (1 Sam 30). Still he chose to trust in God rather than to fear and regained all that he had lost. The disciples knew what it was to fear (especially after the crucifixion), but when Jesus was raised from the dead, they were transformed.They were then able to overcome all fear and threats to stand firm in faith.

Jesus promises us peace in every situation (John 14:27).The way to overcome fear is to trust in God (John 14:1).Daily we face the choice: fear or faith, captivity or courage, agitation or peace. When we choose to trust in the love God has for us, His love will dissolve and drive out all fear.

On this Mothering Sunday, Dave spoke about mothers – the definition being a woman who has given birth to a child, but also broadened to those who care for children, even if they are not her own. The joy of motherhood can be exaggerated (often confined to when the children are in bed!), but mothers inevitably sacrifice for their children. Children are self-centred and mothers may well crave peace, but a child can do something which melts the heart and makes every sacrifice worthwhile. Troubles and difficulties fade away when a mother sees her children launching forth and making her proud.

God says even if a mother could forget her own child (which is rare indeed), He would never forget His children. (Is 49;15) We are God’s children,.He has sacrificed so much for us, cares for us and loves us with an unfailing love. He supports and comforts us just as a mother does. He is the greatest mother (and father) we could ever hope to have.