From Palms to the Cross: A Journey of Transformation
As we approach the final days of Lent, the story of Jesus’ journey into Jerusalem, and ultimately to the cross, meets us with both beauty and challenge. In Luke 19:28–40, we see the triumphal entry, often called Palm Sunday, where crowds gather with shouts of praise, laying cloaks on the road, declaring, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” But not long after, in Luke 23:1–49, those joyful voices are silent, or even turned against him, as Jesus stands trial, suffers, and dies on the cross.
This movement from parade to passion is at the heart of Holy Week. It is a story of contrast, but also of truth: the way of Jesus is not about rising popularity or human approval, but about transformation; through love, humility, suffering, and surrender.
During Lent, we often focus on doing things differently: personal sacrifices, praying more intentionally, or examining our lives. All of these practices prepare us for the powerful shift that Holy Week invites. It is not just a shift in Jesus’ story, it is meant to be a shift in ours.
On Palm Sunday, we hold palms and sing songs of welcome. But as Holy Week unfolds, we are drawn into deeper reflection. Where are we in the story? Are we among the crowd, hopeful but unsure? Are we like the disciples, eager and committed, yet often afraid and confused? Are we like Pilate, choosing convenience over conviction? Or are we like the women at the cross, watching from a distance, faithful but heartbroken?
The contrast between Luke 19 and Luke 23 is striking, and yet it is in the tension between the two that transformation begins.
We often long for God to enter our lives in triumph, to make things right, to show up with power and victory. And Jesus does come to us as king, but not the kind of king we expect. He rides a colt, not a war horse. He wears a crown of thorns, not of gold. His throne is the cross. And his glory is revealed in love, not in domination or success.
It is this love that transforms us, not from the outside in, but from the inside out.
The Lenten journey and the Holy Week story ask us to walk alongside Jesus, not just to admire him from a distance. They invite us to let go of our need for control, for certainty, for acclaim. They call us to face our fears, our betrayals, our griefs, and to place them in the hands of the one who still says, even from the cross, “Father, forgive them.”
Transformation in the Christian life is not a quick fix. It rarely feels triumphant. More often, it feels like walking into Jerusalem unsure of what lies ahead, trusting that even in suffering, God is near.
As we prepare for Palm Sunday and the week that follows, take time to dwell with the story. Read it slowly. Sit in silence. Let the contrast between celebration and crucifixion speak to your own experience of faith, doubt, joy, and sorrow. Know that you are not alone in any of it. Jesus meets us in each step, and invites us not just to remember, but to be changed.
At Trinity, Holy Week services are opportunities to walk this path together. From Palm Sunday at 10 am, Spy Wednesday at 6:30 pm, Maundy Thursday at 7 pm, Good Friday at 12:15 pm, the Easter Vigil on Saturday at 7:30 pm, and Easter Sunday at 10 am, we move with Christ, from the palms to the table, from the garden to the cross, from the cross to the tomb, from the tomb to the resurrection. Each moment holds sacred space for us to encounter the heart of our faith: that God’s love is strong enough to bear our burdens, and gentle enough to meet us in our weakness.
This year, let Holy Week be more than tradition. Let it be transformation.
Come with your whole self; your doubts, your questions, your weariness, and your longing; lay them at the feet of the One who entered Jerusalem not with force, but with peace. Who faced rejection not with revenge, but with forgiveness. Who died not in defeat, but in love.
And who, even now, is leading us into new life.
Kevin+
