“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

He was warned by his friends and family to stay out of the area because there were enemies mounting up against Him. It was more than just a danger to His reputation. This place was a threat to His life.

Yet those who posed such opposition were the very ones He grieved over as He looked over the city from a hilltop. It was love ‘em or leave ‘em time. He chose to love that day.

It was the appointed time. So He asked His friends to bring Him a donkey with a young colt. “They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Praise God in highest heaven!’ The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. ‘Who is this?’ they asked.” (Matthew 21:7-10)

Such a welcome; it may be hard to see the danger, but such an outpouring was the threat to those who opposed Him. And with each step further into the city, Jesus was coming closer to a cross and the cries of enemies to crucify Him. With each step, Jesus chose to love ‘em instead of leave ‘em. There were certainly other times when Jesus did leave and escape a crowd that wanted to kill Him. But this was the time for God’s love to be on full display.

Being full of grace and truth, He chose to love ‘em—knowing what they had done and what they would do to Him. That list of threats to His life that day were not just seated upon political and religious thrones. They were walking next to Him, would be dining with Him, were praising Him, and were following Him.

And the threat to His life that day reached back as far as the first sin in the garden and as far forward as the very last that will be committed in the future. His choice to love ‘em and not leave ‘em was for the entire world. You are in that list—a threat to Him that He loves and will never leave.

Palm Sunday proved true—one of the many promises God shared with His people all the way back to the time of Moses.“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

So lift your palm branch—and your voice.

The ‘em’ He loves…is you.

Prayer
Jesus, we have sinned against You in our thoughts, in our words, and in our deeds.

We have certainly been guilty of betraying You—of defying You, of turning away from You. And yet, You never chose to leave. Instead, You continue to choose to love us. You demonstrated that so incredibly on that Palm Sunday, knowing that every day You would be taking one step closer to the cross—paying a price for something that You didn’t do but we did.

And yet, You chose to love us and never leave us. Thank You for keeping Your promise to us.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

JOURNEY THROUGH THE HOLY WEEK
Join Rev. Chris Singer for a series of daily Scripture readings, reflection, and prayer each day of Holy Week.
Holy Monday Reading