Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

I’m Jemima L. Yeggs, a.k.a. Stinker.  Pink Lady Apple Yeggs, my landlady and my auntie, wants to read about how younger people, especially couples respond to what the Bible says.  And she wants to know how God is at work at Lily the Pink.

B.B. and I were in our “green room.”

B.B. said, “Stinker, do you think we are going to have class today?”

I replied, “Why not?”

B.B. said, “A lot of churches have special programs for Palm Sunday.”

I laughed, “Aunt Pink wants to have something this afternoon.  Really, Madelaine has set up something.  The children from the preschool are going to parade through the Crystal Mountain, and they are going to wave palm fronds.”

B.B. asked, “Why wasn’t I informed?  I try to get video of everything that happens here, especially if Turtle-eers are involved.”

I asked, “Fireball, are you involved?  Fireball?  Fireball?”

A familiar voice from the restroom door, “I am not hiding in the middle stall today.  Did you miss me?”

B.B. laughed, “Arabella, we were wondering if any Turtle-eers are in the Palm Sunday parade this afternoon.”

Arabella snarled, “Just because I am a freshman in high school, and a little below average height for my age?  Are you suggesting I am a preschooler?  Hmmm?  Ask Sarah.  She is smaller than I am.  Oh, that’s right.  She is not speaking to you right now.”

I snickered, “Arabella, she has a tablet if she isn’t speaking to us.”

Arabella asked, “Do you want me to ask Mercy or Mike?  They are Madelaine’s younger siblings.”

B.B. said, “But Madelaine does not live in the same house.  Forget it, Fireball.  I’ll ask Mommie Pinkie and I will have cameras ready.”

She opened the door, and we went to the den.

Rev. Joseph was at church to herd the cats, or was it to herd the church’s preschoolers?

B.B. led us in prayer.  She read something that her husband had written just for the occasion.

Emmett had his band and choir.  They sang and played Hosanna.

I said, “That got the place rockin’, Emmett.”

Emmett said, “It’s from Mark 11.  ‘Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”’ (Mark 11:9).  I thought you might like that better than a kid’s song.  I have gone through a bunch of them this week.”

Samuel asked, “Where are we searching for Jesus today, Aunt Jemima?”

I smiled, “We are taking a couple of Sunday’s off that topic to look at the Triumphal Entry today.  Then next week, we can do something for Easter.  Arabella, do you need Mr. Dictionary?”

Arabella nodded her head, “Yes, Aunt Jemima, what is triumphal?  Why not Triumphant?”

Without opening his eyes, Easy said, “Triumphal is something that is made or celebrated to commemorate something important.  You might build a Triumphal Arch.  So, in this case, It is Triumphal because the Old Testament prophesied these things would happen.  The people spontaneously worshipped.  But this was before Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross.  The people were thinking about an earthly king.  People complained that they were kicking up too much of a fuss.  ‘Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”’ (Luke 19:39-40).  So, Jesus fulfilled prophecies, but He was not yet Triumphant.  Triumphant is the parade after you win the Super Bowl or the Stanley Cup.”

Arabella moaned, “Good luck with that ever happening.  I have not seen a parade like that in my lifetime.”

Emmett said, “I was old enough for a World Series, but not old enough to remember anything.”

I interrupted, “Triumphal Entry fulfills prophecies.  It recognizes Jesus as king.  And it points to the ultimate victory on the cross, just not the victory anyone there would have understood.”

Paddy (Mark 11:1-7) “As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”
They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.”

Paddy said, ”This is part about the disciples getting the colt.”

Hannah (Zechariah 9:9, Luther Bible) “Aber du, Tochter Zion, freue dich sehr, und du, Tochter Jerusalem, jauchze! Siehe, dein König kommt zu dir, ein Gerechter und ein Helfer, arm, und reitet auf einem Esel und auf einem jungen Füllen der Eselin.”

Hannah said, “Do you want that in English now?”

I smiled, “If you wouldn’t mind.  Either that or you can teach all of us some German.”

Hannah (Zechariah 9:9) “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Hannah said, “This is the prophecy that the coming king would be riding a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Darrell said, “Can I add something?”  I nodded with a smile.  Darrell continued, “Colts that have never been ridden do not just let you put a rider on their back.  I’m just saying.  I don’t know of anyone this has happened to, but if your big brother puts you on the back of a colt that has never been ridden, you can end up being the next rocket to be launched in Florida.  Just saying.”

Sally Mae added, “Darrel refuses to ride a horse.  No connection to what he just said, but Darrell’s big brother can run fast and catch things before they hit the ground.  Ummm.  Just saying.”

I laughed, “So, what Darrell and Sally Mae are saying or maybe not saying, is that Jesus just sitting down on a colt that had never been ridden before and then led into Jerusalem with people screaming, putting coats down to walk on, and other things that would make an experienced donkey skittish…  All that happening, and the colt takes it in stride, sounds like a miracle.”

Blake asked, “How far did you fly, Bro?”

Darrell growled, “I said that that might not have ever happened, Blake.  And it wasn’t far, and that was before I ever started school, maybe about kindergarten.”

I smiled, “Moving on…”

Jethro said, “Wait!  What was Hannah reading from?  You know, the first time.”

Hannah smiled, “It’s a Luther Bible.  I was brought up in the Amish faith.  We only read from the Luther Bible in German.  Since Jochebed pulls out her Louis Segond French Bible, I thought I would join in.  If you speak another language, you could read the verses in your special Bible.”

Jethro said, “Naw.  I just speak hillbilly.  But you don’t look like no Amish to me.”

Hannah laughed, “Thank you, but if my grandmother is visiting, I will look like I never left.  Ummm.  Just saying.  Did I do that right, Paddy?”

Paddy smiled, “I think you did.  Just saying.”

I shook my head, “Moving on.”

Boaz (Numbers 19:2) ““This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke.”

Boaz said, “This is not a colt of a donkey, but it talks about the red heifer.  The ashes of that sacrifice were used in cleansing the priests from their sins.  They mixed the ash with water, and a small amount was sprinkled for each person to worship in the temple, or tabernacle at first.  But you are looking at a ceremonial animal for a specific purpose.  A heifer is a cow that has not produced a calf.  Then you add never been under a yoke, thus no load placed on it, similar to never been ridden.  Thus, instead of a red heifer, you have a colt of a donkey.  The ceremonial significance is striking.”

I said, “And they have some red heifers in the Holy Land now.  Interesting how things come together.”

I laughed, “Paddy read from the Mark account of the triumphal entry.  It is only mentioned in John that they had palm branches.  ‘The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Blessed is the king of Israel!’” (John 12:12-13).  It is interesting that they laid down their cloaks for the colt to walk on.  But then, only John mentioned the palm branches.”

Mamma Missy (Leviticus 23:40) “On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.”

Missy said, “Okay, this talks about celebrating with palm branches or willows.  It does not say pave the road with them, and it doesn’t say that at the triumphal entry.  Why couldn’t it be Cloak Sunday?  Anyway, this is the festival of the tabernacles.  They were to take up temporary residence, like in a tent or booth.  Peter wasn’t talking crazy talk on the Mount of Transfiguration, building booths for Jesus, Elijah, and Moses.  He was likening it to the festival of the tabernacles.  So, I am thinking they waved the palm branches and sang.”

Sammie and Lauren came up waving and singing.  Missy said, “Okay, you two, save it for this afternoon.  Or maybe when we get to the church this morning.”

I suggested, “But where did these Hosanna songs come from?”

Professor Angus (Psalm 118:25-26) “Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.”

Angus said, “This talks about the people blessing God and those who come in God’s name.  Now; ‘Hosanna’ means ‘save us.’  And that points to them claiming Jesus to be someone who can save them.  They are lifting Him up to King status and Savior status.  So, the people were basically singing these two verses of that psalm.”

Arabella (2 Corinthians 2:14) “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.”

Arabella said, “What?!  I ask Mr. Dictionary why it’s triumphal, and now I have to read about it?”

I blinked a few times, “Hunh?  Isn’t that the way it works?  No good deed goes unpunished?  But there is a lot in here.  Paul is reminding the Corinthians that the Romans parade through town after a battle with the conquered people as their slaves.  Here it says ‘leads us as captives.”  Jesus set us free, but we belong to Jesus.  We are freer than we have ever been, but we are His.  But it uses that word, triumphal.  The NIV only has one other time that triumphal is used.”

Michael Rowe Casey (Isaiah 60:11) “Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations—their kings led in triumphal procession.”

Michael Rowe Casey asked, “I think I have heard of a city’s gates always being open.  Where is that, Aunt Jemima?”

I replied, “Now, you are putting me to work.  ‘The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.’ (Revelation 21:21-25).  So, it’s the New Jerusalem.  The gate is one huge pearl, each of the twelve gates, and the gates are never shut because all the bad stuff that causes us to shut gates have been cast into the Lake of Fire.  Now, is that a reason to celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus?  And the verse from Isaiah 60 is an End Times prophecy.”

Michael nodded, “Sounds like a great reason.”

I smiled. “So, there you have a little background and how the Triumphal Entry fits into the overall story of Jesus. Now, everyone should return here after your church service. Aunt Pink is luring you to a free meal so you will stay for the party. Rosie, bring Johnny Jacks back with you. All employees, even those that do not live here are invited. We need to have the entire parade route lined with people waving palm branches.”

Grannie Fannie (Galatians 6:18) “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.”

Lauren ran up to Grannie Fannie and hugged her.  “Are you ready to drive us?”

Brooke picked up Stormie.  She had been playing with the other children and Brooke strapped her into the carrier.

Credits

Here is Hosanna sung by Maranatha! Singers.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.