The Family Disciple Me Podcast // Discipleship Starts With a Conversation

THE EASTER TRILOGY: Belief Before Miracles: The Palm Sunday Question / Holy Week Conversations

• Tosha Williams for FDM • Season 5 • Episode 27

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"Do you believe this?" Jesus' profound question to Martha before raising her brother Lazarus reverberates throughout Palm Sunday's celebration and directly into our lives today. When faced with impossible situations, do we trust Jesus before seeing the miracle?

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, but the story actually begins with a pivotal miracle—Lazarus' resurrection from the dead. Martha's declaration of faith before seeing her brother alive again demonstrates genuine belief in Jesus' identity, not just His abilities. This same question confronts us: Do we believe Jesus is who He says He is and that He can do what He says He can do?

The Palm Sunday celebration itself reveals something fascinating about human nature. While crowds enthusiastically welcomed Jesus with palm branches and shouts of "Hosanna," their motivations varied dramatically. Some had witnessed Lazarus' resurrection and believed wholeheartedly. Others followed political hopes or simply joined the excitement. Most telling was what happened afterward—when adults returned to their regular lives, the children continued worshiping Jesus in the temple. Their unwavering, childlike faith challenges us to examine our own belief. Do we praise Jesus only in celebratory moments or consistently through all seasons of life?

Personal stories of faith challenges, like Tosha’s experience with her desperately ill daughter, remind us that believing isn't always easy, but it's transformative. In those critical moments when circumstances seem impossible, Jesus still asks, "Do you believe this?" The answer shapes not only our relationship with him but our ability to pass authentic faith to the next generation. Join us for this Easter trilogy as we journey through Holy Week's most significant moments and discover how they transform our families today. What do you truly believe about Jesus?

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The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media.

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Family Disciple Me podcast. Hi, my name is Tasha Williams and I'm here with my friend, wendy Hickox. Hi, tasha, I'm so excited to be part of this special Easter trilogy. It's a three-part journey through the biggest moments of the Holy Week, including Palm Sunday, good Friday and Easter Sunday. And actually, tasha, we're kicking things off with Palm Sunday, a day when people shouted and celebrated Jesus as King.

Speaker 1:

But Palm Sunday, it's not just a history lesson. It asks us a really personal question Do we believe that's right? You know, wendy, I remember a time when I was at a parade. I was caught up in the excitement of the crowd. It was so fun. Everyone was cheering and waving and celebrating. It was contagious.

Speaker 1:

But I've also experienced moments where I've stood alone, and I've stood alone in my faith when I had to decide for myself do I really believe in Jesus, no matter what others do? And that's what today's conversation is about. And that's such a powerful connection, tasha, because on Palm Sunday there was this huge crowd celebrating Jesus, but not all of them truly believed. Some were just going along with the excitement, while others had experienced Jesus' power firsthand, especially those who had just witnessed one of the most incredible miracles. That's where our scripture comes in today. In John, chapter 11, verses 25 and 26, jesus says I am the resurrection and the life. Do you believe this? That's the big question. Yes, that's the really big question. So well, let's roll the podcast intro and then dive into what happened just before Palm Sunday, because it sets the stage for everything.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the Family Disciple Me podcast. If you have a real relationship with Jesus, then you're in the right place to be encouraged, challenged and blessed as you seek Him, speak Him. The mission of the Family Disciple Me ministry is to inspire devotion-driven discipleship, which is something we believe every Christ follower can do. Discipleship starts with a conversation, so let's get going with that right now.

Speaker 1:

Have you ever had a moment in life when you said I can't believe that just happened? Maybe it was a crazy event or an unexpected blessing, or something that you didn't think you'd ever see, or maybe a really hard situation where God showed up in ways you never saw coming? That's exactly the kind of moment that led up to Palm Sunday. Jesus had just done something unbelievable and the people who saw it couldn't stop talking about it. So well, wendy, let's talk about it ourselves.

Speaker 1:

It's the story of Lazarus. You know, just before Palm Sunday, jesus' friend Lazarus died. Many of us are familiar with that story. Yes, lazarus' sister, there's a word for you. Lazarus' sisters, mary and Martha, they were grieving. They had been desperate for Jesus to come help their brother and yet he didn't come. Quote in time. Well, now he finally shows up, and when he arrives, he doesn't just comfort them, he makes a really bold statement. He sure did. He said in the first that's quoted in John 11, 25 through 26, I am the resurrection and life. Do you believe this? Imagine Mary and Martha in that moment. Their brother, their precious brother, is dead. Wendy, your family has one son, just like my family has one son. And the sisters in both of our families. They love their brothers right, they love their brother.

Speaker 1:

If this was a story in our families, we know that our girls would respond the exact same way that Mary and Martha did. They would be heartbroken, and Mary and Martha were heartbroken. But Jesus is standing in front of them and in this moment he's asking them if they believe in him before anything has even changed, before any miracle has even begun to happen. And really isn't that the moment when our faith is really tested, Tasha? It sure is. You know, I remember a situation like this in my own life.

Speaker 1:

I remember the day, I actually remember the hour and exactly where I was standing when Jesus asked me the question that he asked Mary and Martha. It wasn't that I had a child that was dead, but I had a child who was desperately ill. She was so sick, Wendy, that she had gone from an athlete to practically an invalid. And there was a moment in time when I felt like God said to me Tasha, I have the ability to heal her. Do you believe this Really? I can't even imagine standing in that space and having that question under the circumstances that you were dealing with, and we'd been praying for so long. We had so much wanted Jesus to show up and heal her. And yet nothing had happened, Nothing had changed. And there, in that moment that day, Jesus said to me I have the power and the ability to heal her. Do you believe this? That was one of the most unique experiences of my whole life so far.

Speaker 1:

And that's the experience that Mary and Martha had. Except the stakes were even higher Because at this point in the story, their brother wasn't just sick, he was dead. Yes, what a desperately difficult scenario Thing is. When Jesus said John 11, he asked his sisters if they believed what he said. Martha answered yes, and her answer it was more than about her brother Lazarus. Her belief was in Jesus himself. She told him I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God. And here's the thing After Martha expressed that belief in Jesus, he did the impossible.

Speaker 1:

He raised Lazarus from the dead, absolutely. No wonder people were talking. They had just seen proof that Jesus wasn't just making empty claims. He had real power over life and death. Jesus didn't just say he was the resurrection and the life, he proved it. The beautiful thing is that Martha chose to believe him even before she experienced that miracle. This makes me think about my own life and I bet it makes our audience think about their life as well. When God has asked you to trust him before you even know how things will turn out, that's right. That's right. So here's what happened next, word about Lazarus spread the people who saw this miracle. They couldn't keep quiet. They told everyone about what Jesus had done. That's why Palm Sunday was such a big celebration. It wasn't just about the prophecy being fulfilled, it was about real people who had seen Jesus's power firsthand.

Speaker 1:

But here's the thing, wendy, not everyone in the crowd believed Jesus. Some were just caught up in the moment, like people at a parade. Some were hoping he'd be a political ruler, maybe, like this was a political rally or something. Some would actually later turn against him. Isn't it easy to go along with the crowd? But really, tasha, faith is about a personal decision. The same question Jesus asked Martha is the question he asked each of us today. Yes, that question do you believe this? And herein lies the deepest, most important question what do you believe about Jesus? Do you believe what the Bible says about him? Do you believe what he says about himself in the Bible? When have you had to stand firm in your faith, even when other people didn't or wouldn't believe what you've chosen to believe about Jesus? These are great questions to think about and ponder.

Speaker 1:

One of my favorite details about Palm Sunday is what happened after this big celebration. Yes, I love this part, wendy, because the big crowd, all the grown-ups, I like to say they eventually went home. I can see them going back to work, you know, back to their houses, back to their fishing nets, whatever their lives held at that point. But the children? They kept worshiping Jesus. Matthew 21, 14. Well, it tells us that even when the adults moved on, the kids kept singing Hosanna to the son of David. I love that. It reminds me of how kids have such bold, simple faith. They don't overcomplicate things, they just trust and worship Jesus for who he is, that childlike faith that we all should have. I think that's a challenge for us. Do we keep praising Jesus even when the crowd dies down? Do we believe in him on the hard days, not just the exciting ones? That's the kind of faith I want to pass down to the next generation, wendy, the kind of faith that doesn't waver no matter what.

Speaker 1:

So, tasha, I want to go back to the story you mentioned at the beginning. What happened in your life when Jesus asked you in that difficult situation regarding your child? Do you believe? Did you believe, that he could heal her? Well, honestly, I said to him what some of the disciples said to him along the way. Lord, I believe please help my unbelief. And while that was such a pivotal moment in my life and in my family's life. How was it such a pivotal moment Like what happened next? Well, after months and months and months of desperately difficult struggle for which the doctors couldn't provide us any answers or any cure, I think it was about a day after that moment when God was just asking me that question over and over again Do you believe this?

Speaker 1:

I got a text from my daughter. She was in Mexico on a mission trip and she texted me because she couldn't call me from there. She texted me on her friend's phone, no less, because her phone didn't work there either. She said Mom, you're not going to believe this, but God healed me last night. What, oh my goodness? I can only imagine hearing those words on the other line, or reading those words actually, those words on the other line, or reading those words actually, since she was texting you. What that must have felt like, because it comes full circle back around to that question Do you believe, even before anything has happened? And you did, and he healed. He healed her, and it is an amazing story. There were dozens of witnesses and I just have to tell you, wendy, I couldn't stop crying. I was so overwhelmed with God's kindness to us. That's another story for another time, but for now the point is that God gave us a miracle, but before he gave it to us we had to believe that he is the miracle.

Speaker 1:

I can only imagine that that was quite a celebration it was, and actually it still is, but in the same way and actually in an even million times greater way. Palm Sunday was a day of joy and celebration. However, it was also a moment of decision. Some people chose to believe in Jesus. Some people, like Martha, chose to believe in Jesus before the miracle. Some people chose to believe in Jesus after they'd seen the miracle. Others, well, they just followed because of the crowd. And that is exactly why this conversation matters, because our faith it's not just for us, it's something we're called to pass on to the next generation. Can you imagine the opportunity that Martha and Mary and all the friends and family surrounding that miracle, surrounding that miracle? Can you imagine the opportunity that they had to share their Jesus story and pass it on to the next generation? Incredible, yes. Being in that moment seems unfathomable. I can't even imagine what that would look like.

Speaker 1:

But, moms and dads, this week let's have this conversation with our kids. Let's talk about why we believe in Jesus. Let's share those stories and why Palm Sunday still matters today. We talk with Family, disciple Me a lot about the theme Seek Him, seek Him, speak him. So this week, let's share with our kids, let's share with our family or with people that we're in relationship, why we believe in Jesus, and then we can ask them what do you believe about Jesus? And not only that, wendy. Let's look for a moment to praise Jesus together, just like the kids in the temple did, absolutely Having that childlike faith that was showed in that situation.

Speaker 1:

This is just the beginning of our Easter trilogy. Next time we're going to talk about Good Friday, the day Jesus gave his life for us. As we go into this week, let's take time for each of these conversations, let's praise Jesus, let's reflect on his question do you believe? And let's share our faith with the next generation Friends. If this conversation encouraged you, we encourage you to share it with a friend and be sure to join us next time for the next step in the Easter story. Until then, let's seek Him, speak Him and make the most of every conversation. God bless you, friend.

Speaker 2:

Thanks for joining us in this podcast episode. You can find the matching conversation guide in the show notes To get the latest updates about the Family Disciple Me ministry, as well as word about our soon-to-be-released app, sign up to be the first to know at familydisciplemeorg. Also, if you enjoyed this podcast, help us get the word out by leaving us a review on your favorite podcast platform. God bless you, friend. Now go seek him. Speak him.