Palm Sunday and Holy Week*

      This is a very special week for those who believe in One God - both Jew and Gentile. The week starts with Palm Sunday, today, which memorializes Jesus Christ's entrance into Jerusalem to the praise and the waving of palm branches as the people welcomed their King. Passover also occurs this week as Jews and Gentiles remember the blood of the Passover Lamb which was spread upon the doorways of the houses of the Israelites to protect them from the plague of death. Scripture tells us that Jesus is our Passover. Finally, this week, we remember the suffering, crucifixion, death, burial and triumphant resurrection of Jesus. All of these events were written of beforehand by the LORD's servants the prophets, as we will see. These prophets also wrote of the troubles that we are seeing currently in the Middle East.

     The prophet Zechariah wrote of judgments that would accompany the Lord's entry into Jerusalem. He wrote the Word of the LORD against Damascus, Tyrus/Tyre, Zidon/Sidon, Gaza and the Philistines. However, speaking prophetically to Israel, the LORD told His prophet: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." (Zech. 9:1-9). As Jesus indeed rode into Jerusalem on a foal of an ass, the people greeted Him, shouting, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD." This was also prophesied beforehand (see Ps. 118:26), and Jesus afterwards said that they would not see Him again (speaking of His second coming), until they once more cried out "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD."

     Many of those who welcomed Him into Jerusalem as a King that day did so because they had heard that Jesus had raised His friend Lazarus from the dead. Six days before Passover and Jesus' death, Lazarus and his sisters invited Jesus and His disciples to dinner in Bethany. During that dinner, Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with very costly spikenard. This offended Judas because he would rather have had the money value of the spikenard, 300 pence, to steal from Christ's treasury bag, rather than seeing it "wasted" on the feet of Jesus. (Jn. 12:1-6). Jesus told Judas to leave the woman alone. She had done this as preparation for His burial. (v. 7-8).

     People came also, not only to see Jesus, but Lazarus who had been dead, but was now alive, raised by Jesus: "But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus." (v. 9-11). As Passover approached, the prophetically written events were being put into place that would lead to the betrayal and crucifixion of Christ. Again, as this Palm Sunday, Passover and Resurrection season approached, we saw troubling events occurring at this time in the Middle East.

     John also wrote in this chapter of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, as had been prophesied by Zechariah above, that drew out all the people of Jerusalem and yet angered the Pharisees even though they considered themselves scriptural experts. (Jn. 12:12-19). Immediately after these events that would shortly lead to Christ's death, Gentiles began to seek out Jesus. (see v. 20-24).

     Isaiah prophesied of the Gentiles seeing the righteousness of the LORD: "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation (yeshua - the Hebrew name of Jesus) thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name." (Isa. 62:1-2, and 4, Rev. 2:17).

     Isaiah' prophecy from the LORD also said that the LORD had set watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem that shall never stay quiet day and night, making mention of the LORD until He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth: "Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold his reward is with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken." (v. 6-12, excerpt). We are the watchmen that the LORD has set in place to proclaim the LORD's promises over Jerusalem, especially in these days of darkness, and telling us to "lift up a standard (nes - something lifted up, signal pole, banner, something lifted up to be seen far off, a column or lofty pole, to be lifted up to be displayed) for the people." (v. 10). Jesus is the standard that was lifted up on display and which we are to proclaim.

     As the LORD promised that Jerusalem would be inhabited again (see Zech. 2:1-4), we remember that after two thousand years, the nation of Israel and the Hebrew language were restored after WWII. The LORD also warned the nations: "...he that toucheth you (Jerusalem) toucheth the apple of his (the LORD's) eye." (v. 8). The LORD tells Zion to rejoice: "...for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.' And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again." (v. 10-12). Many nations shall be joined to the LORD, the Word says. Today, however, we are seeing many nations coming against Israel to destroy it. God however promises to be the wall of fire around Jerusalem and the glory within it, and His promises will stand.

     Again, Isaiah prophesied the LORD's proclamation that Zion and Jerusalem are to awake and put on their beautiful garments. Although the LORD delivered His people out of bondage in Egypt, they are again ruled by those who oppress His people. Because of this: "...my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I." (Isa. 52:1-6). The good tidings of peace and salvation (yeshua - the Hebrew name of Jesus) will proclaim to Zion, "Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice...for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring back Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together...for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem" (v. 7-9). To the eyes of all the nations and to all the ends of the earth, the salvation (yeshua, the Hebrew name of Jesus) of our God will be seen. (v. 10). Are we declaring that the LORD has brought back Zion?

     The salvation that all nations will see was described by Isaiah prophetically as God's exalted Servant: "As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle (naza - the blood of expiation, sprinkled on the Mercy Seat and on the people) many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider." (v. 13-15).

     Isaiah then asks: "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?" (Isa. 53:1).

     Because of the image of the Shroud of Turin, all can see and consider the marred face and form of the suffering Servant of God. 

     It was the apostle Paul's heartfelt prayer for Israel that they might be saved: "For Christ is the end (telos - end, aim, purpose, conclusion, point or goal) of the law to every one that believeth...For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Rom. 10:1-13, excerpt).

    Paul wrote of how we all, Jew and Gentile, are to "call" Him for salvation: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (v. 9-10).

     As Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue, the passage described the anointing for good tidings unto the meek, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison for those who are bound, that is upon Him as the Messiah/Christ. This passage also revealed the two different comings of the Lord. The first is to proclaim "the acceptable year of the LORD", after which Jesus stopped reading the passage. And the second is to proclaim "the day of vengeance of our God." This has been associated with the return of Christ. Both of the appearances of this Anointed One, who is Christ, is also revealed by Isaiah: "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified." (Isa. 61:1-3). It is the end of the desolation of which Zechariah spoke. This prophetic Word is for Zion, which the spirit of this world hates and continually seeks to destroy.

     Although the nations and the kingdoms of this world are angry, the Lord promises that He will reign: "...The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever....O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned...And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." (Rev. 11:15-19, excerpt). Christ, our Passover Lamb who suffered and died on the cross for the sins of all, rules forever. It is prophecy fulfilled.

*Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 3/29/26 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on the Facebook page of Kenneth E. Stevenson Jr. Dr. Stevenson's video messages are also found on You Tube at the Kenneth Stevenson channel. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, which is evidence of Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook. Also the book NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling, written by Dr. Stevenson, is available on Amazon.