Holy Week #1 of 8 Palm Sunday: Expecting Jesus, March 24
Daily Reflections from Inside the Cancer Journey
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Written by David Gira
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Psalm 118:26 NIV ).
As Jesus approached Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, the crowd of followers grew in number and enthusiasm. The disciples and many others in the crowd layered the path ahead with their coats and palm branches. They sang, praising God for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38 NIV)
The long-expected Messiah had finally come. Hundreds of years before Jesus’ arrival, prophets had spoken of this day. Holy Scripture had recorded and preserved their prophecies. Their words came to fulfillment with remarkable accuracy and detail:
“See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9 NIV).
The prophets also spoke of what the Messiah would be like and do. The Messiah would be God’s Son, set apart and anointed to be their Savior. He would bring victory against their enemies, establish peace, and make right all the wrongs. No wonder they were celebrating!
Jesus’ arrival fulfilled the people’s expectations, but He would not be exactly the kind of Messiah they expected. He would be victorious, but not how most expected. As another prophet proclaimed, He came to be pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, punished to bring us peace, and wounded so we could be healed (see Isaiah 53:5).
Over the course of the week to come, the cheering crowd would witness Jesus’ suffering in unimaginable ways. A few would stick with Him to the end, but many would lose their zeal, leave, or even turn against Him.
Those living with cancer can relate. It’s easy to believe in Jesus and follow Him when life is going great, as expected, or even better than expected. But believing and remaining faithfully devoted when you are suffering from a terminal disease, that’s different.
You may straight-up give up on God. God, you’re fired! Or you might start to drift further and further away from God, unaware. You may stop going to worship every week, talk with church friends less and less, and hardly ever read the Bible or pray. Alienating yourself from God only makes things worse, possibly unbearable. Even worse, when you finally realize how desperately you need God, you may not know how to find Him.
Fortunately, Jesus knows where you are. He shows up in your suffering. He knows His way around the hospital. He meets us in painful places.
Today is Palm Sunday, a time to wave palm branches and praise Jesus. It is the first day of Holy Week. It’s a time to focus on your relationship with Jesus and your own expectations. Listen for His voice as you prayerfully reflect:
“Do you still believe Me?”
“Will you trust Me?”
“Are you still praising Me?”
“Will you pick up this cross and follow Me?”
“Or will you pick up your coat and go home?”
Pray: Lord Jesus, I welcome You as Messiah with joy. As I face cancer, help me continue to trust You and stay beside You. Use this disease to draw me closer to You. Help me expect You to be with me in everything, even the bad stuff. Amen.
Your Turn: Read Luke’s description of this beautiful day in Luke 19:28-40. Listen to Here is Our King by David Crowder.
Michael David Gira Jr., Cancer Survivor
David was an ordained United Methodist Pastor and graduate of Duke Divinity School. He and his wife, Amy, lived in Raleigh, North Carolina with their three children. In 2017 he was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. In his book, How Cancer Cured Me, he shares many ways he experienced God’s healing. After a 7 year battle with cancer, David is now joyously singing praises in God’s glorious throne room. His legacy lives on through his writing for Cancer Companions, as he continues to proclaim Christ’s hope and healing power to others experiencing cancer. https://www.davidgira.com/how-cancer-cured-me
Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.
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