Palm Sunday - Purim - Global Day Of Repentance Series

2024.03.24. Palm Sunday. Purim. Global Day of Repentance 2024

William Akehurst, HSWC

This year 2024, Passover Week comes 4 weeks after the Passion Week from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday (Easter). There's something to be said with the Jewish Celebration of Passover being out-of-sync with the Christian Easter calendar. Time will tell.

Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11, Luke 19:37-44, Mark 1:14-15, Acts 3:19, Luke 24:47, 2 Corinthians 7:1, 1 John 3:3, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Ephesians 5:26-27, Proverbs 6:16-19, Psalms 51:1-17

ILLUS: Israeli Soldiers preparing for battle crying out Hosanna – Save Now. Scripture tells us that the Jews will cry out for the Messiah, and then HE will come!

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PURIM

Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of a man named Haman, an official of the Achaemenid Empire, as it is recounted in the Book of Esther.

Haman was the royal vizier to the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes),

His plans were foiled by Mordecai of the tribe of Benjamin, and Esther.

Esther is Mordecai's cousin and adopted daughter who had become queen of Persia after her marriage to Ahasuerus.

The day of deliverance became a day of feasting and rejoicing among Jews.

According to the Scroll of Esther, “they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor".

Purim is celebrated among Jews by:

• Exchanging gifts of food and drink

• Donating charity to the poor

• Eating a celebratory meal

• Reading the Scroll of Esther

• Wearing Costumes and makeup

According to the Hebrew calendar, Purim is celebrated annually on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar, the day following the victory of the Jews over their enemies, the 13th of Adar, a date now observed in most years with the fast of Esther.

Current Events: HAMAN & HAMAS similarity

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PALM SUNDAY - THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

Matthew 21:1-11

1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: 5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.

8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’

Hosanna in the highest!”

10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Luke 19:37-44

37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, 38 saying:

“ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!’

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”

40 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Don’t neglect the times when CHRIST is in our midst and is calling you to Repentance.

Jesus wept over the people of Jerusalem, for they were missing it.

They were missing the whole point of HIS coming as HE says,”If you only knew what brings true peace.”