But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. (Luke 24:11)

Alleluia! Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Unbelievable, wouldn’t you say? We know that dead men don’t rise. They knew that dead men don’t rise. This isn’t some recent revelation of modern science. It’s a universal truth. Dead men don’t rise. That’s why the apostles did not believe the women at first. That’s why Peter had to go and see for himself. That’s why the women were going to the tomb in the first place. They were going to finish a burial, not to meet a risen Jesus. They knew that dead men don’t rise from the dead. They were bringing burial spices to finish a hasty burial from Friday afternoon.

This night, the night before Easter dawn, is the most holy of all nights.
This is the night of the first Day, when Light was spoken into darkness.
This is the night of the Passover, when the children of Israel walk through blood-stained wood into freedom.
This is the night that Israel walks through Sea on dry ground.
This is the night the crucified Lamb declares the victory of His cross.
This is the night when the chains of death are broken and light breaks out in the darkness of the grave.

We have come to the Friday we call “good.” Good Friday. A strange name, don’t you think, for the day Jesus was unjustly and cruelly nailed to a cross and suffered a horrible death? Good Friday. Some just skip right over this, as though it were an unfortunate speed bump on the way to Easter Sunday and the joy of the Resurrection. Many avoid the bloody mess altogether. But you must not. You must look on this One who bore your griefs and sorrows, who was stricken, smitten, and afflicted, whose wounds do justice to your sin, who was crushed by the Law’s condemnation that hung over your head, whose punishment brings peace with the Father, and in whose wounds you will find your healing

Tonight, on this first of the three holy nights, we are gathered to recall our Lord’s institution of the Sacrament of His Body and His Blood. This is the night of our Lord’s Passover, His exodus through death to life, His liberating our humanity from its bondage to the Egypt of the sin, death and the grave.

And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:8)

Palms and Passion Sunday. It’s like Holy Week compressed into one service and more. It’s all summarized in this one Palm Sunday word: Hosanna! It means “save us, Lord.” It’s what you shouted to the King as he rode through the city. Hosanna! Save us! It was a shout of confidence in the King, and when that confidence is in King Jesus, it’s not misplaced. Jesus came to save. His name embodies salvation. He rode into Jerusalem that day to save.