Tuesday, April 1, 2025
The King Arrives
“‘Go into the village over there,’ he stated. ‘As quickly as you enter it, you will note a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and convey them to me. If anybody asks what you might be doing, simply say, “The Lord wants them,” and he’ll instantly allow you to take them.’” (Matthew 21:2-3 NLT)
A Sunday college trainer requested her class, “Does anyone know what subsequent Sunday is?”
A little bit six-year-old woman raised her hand and stated, “Subsequent Sunday is Palm Sunday.”
The trainer stated, “Excellent. Are you aware what the that means of Palm Sunday is?”
The little woman replied, “That’s the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the again of a donkey and the folks laid palm branches at His toes.”
The trainer stated, “That’s precisely proper. Does anyone know what the next Sunday is?”
The identical little woman raised her hand and stated, “That’s the day that Jesus rose once more from the lifeless. It’s Easter Sunday.”
“Excellent,” the trainer stated.
The little woman continued, “But when He sees His shadow, He should return into the bottom for six weeks.”
For the subsequent two and a half weeks main as much as Easter, we’re going to take a look at the that means and significance of a number of totally different occasions that came about in the course of the Ardour Week—the times from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. And we’re going to start out with the preparations Jesus made for His arrival in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration.
Jesus had made the journey to Jerusalem numerous instances for varied festivals and events. However His arrival on Palm Sunday was distinctive. Take a look at His directions to His disciples within the passage above.
Lots of of years earlier, the Outdated Testomony prophet Zechariah had written these phrases: “Rejoice, O folks of Zion! Shout in triumph, O folks of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He’s righteous and victorious, but he’s humble, driving on a donkey—driving on a donkey’s colt” (Zechariah 9:9 NLT).
Jesus was definitely conscious of the prophecy—and so have been many individuals within the crowd that awaited Him in Jerusalem. Prophecies concerning the Messiah—the King, the Chosen One—loomed massive in Jewish life. However at all times with a political slant. The Jewish folks of Jesus’ day have been ready for a Messiah who would lead them in revolt in opposition to the Roman Empire.
Their baseless expectations typically distracted them and saved them from embracing Jesus’ teachings concerning the kingdom of Heaven. So Jesus hardly ever introduced Himself because the Messiah throughout His public ministry.
However that modified on Palm Sunday. When Jesus selected a donkey colt as His technique of transportation, He was sending an unmistakable message. He was saying to everybody, “I’m the king Zechariah prophesied about. I’m the Chosen One, the Son of God. The Messiah has come!”
Within the tradition of the primary century AD, a king who entered a metropolis on a donkey got here in peace; a king who entered a metropolis on horseback got here to beat. So Jesus was additionally making it clear that He was not a political risk to Rome.
He was, nonetheless, a risk to the Jewish non secular leaders. He knew they have been plotting to kill Him. He knew that in a matter of days, His disciple Judas Iscariot would assist them by agreeing to betray Him. So Jesus’ resolution to enter Jerusalem on a donkey was additionally supposed to impress His enemies. He needed them to comply with by way of on their plans to execute Him in order that He might fulfill God’s plan of salvation.
Jesus made it clear that He’s the Messiah, God’s chosen One to avoid wasting the world. Everybody who believes in Him will reap the rewards of His saving work—that’s, everlasting life.
Reflection query: How are you aware that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of the world?
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King David was a shepherd, a warrior, a king—and a person after God’s personal coronary heart. Official companion to the Amazon Prime sequence Home of David, a brand new devotional from Pastor Greg Laurie dives deep into David’s life, the psalms he wrote, and the teachings we will be taught from his triumphs and struggles. Develop in your stroll with God as you discover the extraordinary lifetime of David. Get your copy at the moment along with your present to Harvest Ministries.
