Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey on the tenth of Nissan. The Christian calendar marks that day as Palm Sunday, because the crowds waved palm branches to hail Him as King. (A few days later, some in that crowd called for His crucifixion.)
In ancient Israel, the day held a different significance, though. The tenth of Nissan was the day the sacrificial lambs were brought to town. They passed through the sheep’s gate, and bathed in the pool. Then the shepherds herded them into observation pens.
For the next five days, the priests watched the yearlings for any spot or blemish. They tested the lambs for any flaw. And, all the while, Jesus sat in the Temple courtyards, answering the questions of the lawyers, priests, and scribes. He was being tested, too.
Today, we who follow Jesus have become a representation of Him in the earth. Now, we are in the observation pens. Our sheepfolds are the mini-vans in the drive-through and the bleachers at the Little League game. And the world is watching us.
They watch to see if we curse the driver who cuts us off in line. If we keep the extra change the young clerk hands us by mistake. They listen to see if we bash our husbands between innings, or if we yell at our kids (or theirs) when somebody makes a bad play.
One group watches and hopes we will. So they can say, “We knew it wouldn’t work. Those Christians are no different than anybody else. Crucify Him again.”
Another group watches and hopes we’ll resist, hopes we will prove pure. They secretly yearn to be able to say, “Something is different about these folks. Maybe Jesus does live today.”
The boys and I talk a lot about the Jewish faith it seems like – which is very strange, because they don’t know any Jewish families I don’t think. Still, it comes up when we talk about Jesus. “They don’t believe in God, right?” One of them said the other night. And I said, “Oh no. They basically believe everything we do about God. The only difference is, we think the Messiah came as Jesus, and they’re still waiting for him.” In this convo, it came up that our ancestors were called Gentiles – the people that heard the Gospel next. He wasn’t really sent for them and yet they got to be redeemed by his sacrifice as well. We all felt grateful thinking about it. Anyway, despite being Gentiles, I love to understand the many, many ways Jesus fulfilled Jewish tradition. And this is one – the fact that he came into town the same day all the other sacrificial lambs came – that I had forgotten. Amazing.
First of all, I love this fulfillment. I wish I didn’t NEED a Lamb to die for me, but I so do. And I’m grateful.
Also, I was thinking the exact same thing about baseball season, or really sports of any kind. For some of us the day job doesn’t take us into the world much and these are great opportunities to see the same faces multiple times. I’m asking God to give me new eyes to see even practical ways to serve that will make a difference to someone.
So true – the world is watching us. Thanks for the reminder.