Passion Week contains so many odd elements that defy our understanding of kingdom, power, and authority. It seems that in general God chooses the wrong way to inaugurate His kingdom and the wrong way to crown His King. A procession of singing children rather than a legion of armed soldiers. Resisting popularity and embracing rejection. Fisherman rather than scholars. Washing feet rather than reclining in ease. A thorn studded crown rather than dazzling jewels. A borrowed grave rather than an exalted throne. All the days preceding Easter seem to contain mistakes, missteps in implementing a royal agenda.

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Whenever we have a conference at the Ramp, it’s easy to lose track of time. So much happens in such a condensed time period that days can feel like weeks. For example, when the conference ends on Saturday night, the message on Friday night seems like it was preached a week ago–not twenty four hours ago. The mind and emotions have covered so much ground that it doesn’t seem possible that so much could have happened in such a short window. I suspect that on Holy Saturday the disciples had lost track of time, but in a much more acute way.

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When I imagine heaven, I imagine pure peace and pure joy. I imagine a place where no distress can reach the heart. I imagine a transcendent happiness that lifts us beyond the reach of tears. While this picture of heaven certainly seems to be true by the end of Revelation, something happens near the beginning of Revelation that challenges this utopian view.

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Throughout the Gospels, Jesus constantly did things that made His disciples uncomfortable. He taught parables that confused them. He slept through storms, leaving them to wonder if He cared about them. He offended religious leaders, making His followers a target of contempt. He even told them to eat His flesh and drink His blood. (That one really thinned the crowd.) Jesus had a habit of making His disciples uncomfortable in order to present a better way…

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Anyone with leadership sense knows that a good team is everything. Leadership is not about accomplishing great things by yourself. Leadership is about accomplishing great things through and with other people. Therefore, surrounding yourself with the right people on your team is crucial. Without the right people in the right place, a leader is handicapped in what he or she can accomplish.

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The first time I visited Israel, I kept hearing about a group of people that were quite foreign to me: the Byzantines. We would look at the ruins of an old church or the walls of a particular city, and the tour guide would explain: “These structures date all the way back to the Byzantine period.” Any time I heard the word “Byzantine,” it would trigger an odd sense that I had probably learned about them in a bygone history class, but I could not articulate any meaningful explanation of who they are or their contribution to the world.

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Though it’s Monday of Passion Week, I don’t want to move on from Palm Sunday just yet. There is an odd detail to the story we need to consider a little further.

Have you ever wondered why palm branches are such a feature on Palm Sunday? Why did the multitude choose to welcome Jesus to Jerusalem in that way?

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When you celebrate Palm Sunday, there is one unavoidable theme: Jesus as King.

As He rides into Jerusalem, the multitudes cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Matthew 21:9). The description of Jesus as the “Son of David” is not just a statement about his genealogy. It’s a declaration about His royalty.

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