Entering Jerusalem as He did isn’t the end of the story. Unfortunately, in its modern day observance of Passion Week, it jumps from there right to the crucifixion. Palm Sunday → Good Friday. That is the result of the early church deciding not to follow the Jewish calendar. That decision was made at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD (It was a symptom of a deeper problem). What actually happened after the Triumphal Entry is that He went back and forth from Bethany to Jerusalem every day, and entered into dialogue (confrontation-attack) with four different groups:

The Priests and the elders

The Pharisees and the Herodians

The Sadducees

The Pharisees (take one more shot)

This particular Passover was different from any other Passover. Maybe we should add a fifth question to our Haggadahs: Why is this Passover different from all other Passovers? This Passover is the climax of what Luke chronicles for us beginning in chapter 9:51-19:27 – that “He set His face toward Jerusalem” (v. 51).

Luke’s gospel account at this point represents a dramatic turning point in Yeshua’s ministry. After this, Galilee was no longer His base of operation.

In Matthew 21, as Yeshua is riding into Jerusalem, it would seem that we have the proclaiming of a king. Behold your king is coming to you (Mt. 21:5); Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David (Mk. 11:10). From all outward appearances it looks as if the people are proclaiming Yeshua to be the long awaited King-Messiah.

When Mordecai is to be hanged on the gallows (tree) it is the lowest point of the story (v.15), and yet in the sovereignty of God the same gallows meant for Mordecai end up with Haman being hanged on them (6:10).

It is the greatest divine reversal. The greatest moment of defeat becomes the greatest moment of victory for Mordecai, Esther, and the Jewish people. The “Ha etz” that was meant for Mordecai became the gallows for Haman. And of course we have a picture of another reversal as we look at Yeshua and the cross (Ha etz, the tree).

When the enemy Satan thought that he had won victory, his victory was turned into defeat at the resurrection of the Messiah.

From Esther 1:1 - 5:14, we have tragedy after tragedy.

From Esther 6:14 - 10:3, everything is undone and reversed.

Are we living in the last days? Are we at the end of the age? That is a 2,000-year-old question, and people are still asking it today. I get that question a lot. That’s because people look at the events that are taking place around them in the world today and they have a sense that we are heading toward some sort of cataclysm.

From a human perspective, it seems as if everything is falling apart. If you had no other way to look at the direction things are going you might say that. But from the divine perspective, everything is falling into place under the providential, mighty hand of God.

Crispy Perfect Latkes, every time!

Food, family, holidays – what could be better!?

I love the day our family comes together to celebrate Hanukkah, eat latkes, sing the Dreidel song, and retell the story of the Maccabee Revolt and the Miracle of the Oil.

We don’t just serve latkes, we have a “Latke Throw-Down”! Each family makes a unique latke recipe with special savory toppings; all hoping theirs is the BEST!

Here is my favorite recipe - Enjoy!

Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for “dedication.” The holiday is named this since it celebrates the rededication of the Temple to the Lord after it was desecrated by the pagan, Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes.

There's a reason why we call it a fog. For many of us, there will be times in our lives that are shrouded by the haze of uncertainty and hard-to-find hope. But rest assured, you do not have to go through this alone.

Yom Kippur is a day of atonement and forgiveness. It is the last day of the Days of Awe, and it's time to take stock in our lives. On this Day of Atonement, we are supposed to live with a spirit of repentance and be thankful for forgiveness. As Jewish followers of the Messiah, our atonement was secured as Jesus was crucified on that cursed tree. There is nothing more we can do to earn ourselves forgiveness or atonement, it has already been provided for us. What is left is for us to receive it.

In Jewish tradition, The Days of Awe are ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur. These days are considered the holiest days on the Jewish calendar. They are a time for reflection, fasting, and repentance. During this time Jews ask forgiveness from those they have wronged and forgive those who have wronged them. On Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement), Jews believe that the fate of the Jewish people will be sealed by God's judgment over them on this day.

In Genesis, we find the thread of redemption woven through the first few chapters. It is set forth in the form of a story. A family story.

It is related in Hebrew as a “Toldot,” which means “These are the generations of…” Put another way, it poses and answers the question “What became of?” In that, we see how God unfolds His story through the generations in Genesis, the book of beginnings, to bring His creation (including man) to redemption out of chaos.

A clear interpretation of the place Jesus holds and the importance He has in both the Old and New Testaments. Understanding this is crucial to a deeper understanding of Scripture and the Messiah.