Each day this week, we're looking at the day by day unfolding of the Passion Week. Today, the plot to take Jesus' life thickens. "Here at the midpoint of the week, look back at all Jesus accomplished: He arrived prophetically and triumphantly then turned all that energy into defending the poor and reviving the broken rituals and empty symbolism of God's house. He came as a king, worked in the realm of the priest, and taught like the most impassioned prophet. God has arrived

Each day this week, we're looking at the day by day unfolding of the Passion Week. Today, Jesus visits the Temple in a preview of upcoming events. "Turns out that Jesus wasn't just an angry gardener ... He had a reason for cursing that fig tree yesterday. Israel, like that tree, had given indications of life without much fruit; they'd forgotten all God's instructions. And yet, in the midst of a busy day and hectic week, Jesus chose to stop and teach His people ... again. It m

Each day this week, we're looking at the day by day unfolding of the Passion Week. Today, Jesus visits the Temple in a preview of upcoming events. " First impressions matter, don't they? For whatever reason, we enter a room and want to make the right impression with the right people. You know what? So, did Jesus. It's just that Jesus wasn't using His first impressions to please the "important" people - instead, He wanted the "others" to know that they were important to God.

This week, we'll be posting a daily summary of the events of the Passion Week. Today, we began with Palm Sunday - also known as"the Triumphal Entry". "Of all that will happen this week, this is the only day that seemed to go right. From the donkey to the disciples, Jesus was obeyed as He should have been. People responded to Jesus in praise so that the rocks didn't have to. This day seemed to be setting up a wonderful week, and yet Jesus knew better. He knew, and yet He cam