When I was a child, I remember seeing children get dropped off at preschool and I saw the children cry the first time they were dropped off. I thought, “I will never do that.” Then I remember being dropped off my first day of preschool and crying reaching for my mother. I remember many times growing up and dealing with rough separation from my parents. I did not cry like a preschooler anymore, I covered it up, but it was rough. I had never been away from home but a couple weeks and then my parents drop me off at college eight hours away from home. That was rough.

In 2012, we dropped Mercedes off at the childcare center at the church I served as pastor, and of course, she cried and hung on. We had trouble leaving. Well, Mercedes eventually got used to it.

Then, in 2014 Mercedes and Abigail were infected with an ecoli type of bacteria. It was so bad that the CDC talked to us and quarantined them. Mercedes, who had adjusted to the childcare center quite well by then, had trouble readjusting. She was off close to a month and sick. She was weak. On a Friday, I was scheduled to help drive our school age students to a field trip. We thought we would have Mercedes spend the morning at the Childcare Center as she was better. We dropped her off and it was not easy. Later, that morning I came to pick up the school age students for their field trip. As I pulled in the parking lot Mercedes was in the playground and saw me. She ran to the fence and in a tear jerking two year old way she said, Daddy, I can’t get to you this thing is in the way. I cannot hug you, this fence is in the way.” The teachers then told me that she had been crying a lot and not acting herself. But we left her at the church the rest of the morning. However, it was difficult for me. I called Meagan and said, “You may wish to pick her up early.” I was sad for her. “Daddy, I can’t get to you the fence is in the way.”

That was our problem. Our sin was in the way. Just like the fence was in the way between Mercedes and I, our sin is in the way between us and God.

God took care of that.

Mark 11:1–10 (ESV)

¹Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples

²and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it.

³If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’ ”

⁴And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it.

⁵And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”

⁶And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.

⁷And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.

⁸And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.

⁹And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

¹⁰Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem, but why? He entered to die. He would be crucified the following Friday.

Why? He did this for our sin. He entered Jerusalem and the people honored Him as King and then He would die for our sins the coming Friday. But He did not remain dead. He rose again. Do you know Him?

• God created us to be with him (Genesis 1-2).
• Our sins separated us from God (Genesis 3).
• Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4).
• Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again (Matthew – Luke).
• Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life (John – Jude).
• Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever (Revelation 22:5).

Confess, Believe, trust, commit: Firmly make the decision to be with Him in order to become like Him and to learn and do all that He says and then arrange your affairs around Him. 

Prayer