The Sunday before Easter Sunday is traditionally celebrated as Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and the crowds celebrated by cuting down palm branches and waving them to welcome him.

 

Often in the past at SCC that has tended to be our first acknowledgment of Easter but this year through our Lent series we have hopefully had more of a build-up to Easter.

 

The Cross was the main purpose of Jesus' mission. It was where he was headed right from his amazing birth.  Although our focus is now on the final week of the plan being carried out, it was in God's heart even as man first sinned. He was already ready with His plan of salvation.

 

Some people refer to the coming week as 'Holy Week.' Certainly it was the most significant week in human history as Jesus turned towards Jerusalem knowing what was waiting for him - not a victim of politics or religion but as God's Son who was going to die in our place as our substitute and who was going to pay for our salvation with His own blood.

 

I hope you've appreciated our measured progress towards Easter. As we come together on Good Friday and Easter Sunday to remember Jesus' death and resurrection, let's ensure that his sacrifice was not in vain. "Sin shall no longer be your master" says the apostle Paul. That's the radical new life that is ours through the Cross - victory over sin! Don't accept or believe anything less.