Today is Palm Sunday, the day that we traditionally celebrate Jesus’ initial entrance into Jerusalem one week before his resurrection and just a few days before his arrest and crucifixion. We call that ride the triumphant entry. John’s gospel spends so much time on the night of Jesus’s arrest. Chapters 13 through 17 that many of us might have forgotten that we study the triumphant entry almost a year ago, and John 12:12-22, Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead in the town of Bethany which caused the religious leaders to begin seriously plotting to kill Jesus at their first opportunity. Jesus being led by the Holy Spirit and doing only what he saw the Father doing, no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness. So basically, Jesus hid. Just as David has done, and just as Elijah had done, Jesus was led by his Father to use caution and to hide from his enemies until it was time for God’s will to be accomplished in his life. If I can reiterate one of the things we’ve been talking about over these past few weeks, caution is not the same as fear. And removing ourselves from dangerous or potentially dangerous situations is wise. Not anxious. We are living in a time when we must obey our leaders, control ourselves, listen to the Spirit and be faithful to the word and the character of God. Uncertainty has the opportunity to create change because it requires that we listen more closely than ever before. Uncertainty requires that we not do what comes naturally, that we not do what we desire or what our instincts say to do, but as we slow ourselves down and we get direction before we ever stop moving. When something is shaken, it is not to see what would fall off, but to show what will stand. I believe it is important that we stop being afraid of what we don’t know and learn to be confident that we will be given everything that we need. In this week sermon Pastor Abie Kulynych explores the work of God in this time of uncertainty and our call to worship Him for His worth.
“A Helper in Uncertainty,” John 15:26-27
