Morning and Evening: Palm Sunday, April 5

Morning Study:

(Holy Week begins today with Palm Sunday.  Today we celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  Today the crowds celebrate his arrival.  Five days from now they will be shouting for his death.)

Text: Psalm 24

Questions:

1. How does the reminder of verses 1 and 2 help focus your attitude for worship today?
2. Who can enter into God’s presence according to verses 3 and 4?  How do you measure up by those standards?  What is the attitude of your heart?  What is the record of your actions?  What are the priorities in your life like?
3. Verses 7-10 is a song calling for the gates of Jerusalem to open up to welcome the coming King.  What in your life needs to open up to welcome God’s arrival?

Prayer Focus: Pray for the kind of openness in your life that this Psalm describes.

Evening Study:

Evening: Matthew 21:12-17

Questions:

1. It might seem surprising that the gospel reading for Palm Sunday doesn’t actually talk about the triumphal entry, but rather Jesus cleansing the temple.  (I know I was surprised.) Why do you think the Lectionary focuses on this event and not the triumphal entry?
2. Why did Jesus do what he did in verse 12?  In what ways are we guilty of the same thing?
3. Why were the temple officials upset about the praise Jesus was receiving?  What threat does Jesus pose to our own self-importance?
4. Why do you think Jesus left Jerusalem to go stay in Bethany?  How do our attitudes make it so there’s no room for Jesus to stay with us?

Prayer focus: 1 Corinthians 3:16 reminds us that we are God’s temple.  Pray that God would help clean out the areas of your life so there is room for Him this week.