2021 Daily Devotion - Day 369
Palm Sunday
Matthew 21:1-11NRSV
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion, look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
When Jesus came riding into Jerusalem, He had one message, but the people had a different expectation. They had been living under the occupation of the Roman government and wanted to be liberated. They had come to believe that when the Messiah would come, He would come to lead them in a violent revolution. This is probably why they were so excited and tore off the palm branches, waived them at Him while they shouted “Hosanna”, which means save us now.
But, had Jesus come for this purpose, He would have ridden into Jerusalem on a horse, not a donkey (since a horse was a sign of war and a donkey the symbol of peace). And He would never have said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my soldiers would come to fight.” (John 18:36)
He came for a different kind of revolution – a revolution of the heart, and He would be our only King.
Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, help us not to miss the message of Palm Sunday – You want to overthrow our stubborn will, so You can be in complete control of our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Yours because of Him,
Pastor John R. Steward
Senior Pastor
Mount of Olives Church
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion, look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
When Jesus came riding into Jerusalem, He had one message, but the people had a different expectation. They had been living under the occupation of the Roman government and wanted to be liberated. They had come to believe that when the Messiah would come, He would come to lead them in a violent revolution. This is probably why they were so excited and tore off the palm branches, waived them at Him while they shouted “Hosanna”, which means save us now.
But, had Jesus come for this purpose, He would have ridden into Jerusalem on a horse, not a donkey (since a horse was a sign of war and a donkey the symbol of peace). And He would never have said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my soldiers would come to fight.” (John 18:36)
He came for a different kind of revolution – a revolution of the heart, and He would be our only King.
Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, help us not to miss the message of Palm Sunday – You want to overthrow our stubborn will, so You can be in complete control of our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Yours because of Him,
Pastor John R. Steward
Senior Pastor
Mount of Olives Church
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