Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Palm Sunday - Jerusalem Welcomes The King

Welcome Jesus as your Messiah and as your King.

 
Matthew 21:1-11  As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.  

“Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”  This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,  “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.’”  

The two disciples did as Jesus commanded.  They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.  Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  

Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Praise God in highest heaven!”  10  The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.  11  And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus' popularity was at an all time high, not long ago He healed two blind men and raised Lazarus from the dead, maybe the crowd thought that this is the moment that they have been waiting for. Surely Jesus would use this surge in the polls to His advantage and prove that He is the new king of the Jews. (Matthew 20:29-34, John 11:1-44)

The people of Jerusalem are looking for a ruler that who would give them some relief from the rule of the Romans, so when Jesus came riding into town looking like a king they were ready to sing His praises. They were so ready that they missed the symbolism, the fact that Jesus rode a donkey meant that he hadn't come to war against Rome, but still they were hungry for change and their hopes were high. Many of them wondered if king David's throne about to be re-established.

The crowds reacted according to the custom of the day, they spread their outer garments on the road as an act of royal homage and the Palm branches were used in celebration of victory. (2 Kings 9:13, Revelation 7:9) It is very rare to see Jesus receiving the worship and praise that He deserves.
Zechariah 9:9-10  Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet He is humble, riding on a donkey--riding on a donkey's colt.

I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem. I will destroy all the weapons used in battle, and your King will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
The king has entered the city of Jerusalem but the cheering crowds were not going to last for too long. What a surprise it was when Jesus let all of this momentum and excitement from the crowd go to waste.

Talk about an anti-climatic moment! Jesus doesn't throw anybody out of the temple, he doesn't speak out against Rome or even give a stirring speech. He just looks around and leaves, the crowd calms down and it is all over, talk about a lost opportunity! The crowd would never be as pro-Jesus as they were that day and by the end of the week they would be cheering for His execution.

It's true that Jesus came to help them but not with the temporary problem that they wanted help with. His mission was to help them with an eternal problem that nobody else could fix. They didn't realize that Jesus entered Jerusalem to accomplish his real reason for being "God with us."
Isaiah 29:13  “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."
The crowds welcomed a Jesus that wouldn't ask for much of them. They welcomed a Jesus that would serve them and give them a better life now. They wanted help with their physical burden but Jesus was there to give them relief from their spiritual burden.

I have welcomed Jesus as my Messiah but that's not all, I also have welcomed him into my life and allow him to reign as king, He didn't come as the Messiah so that I could go to heaven without any personal sacrifice. My life needs to be devoted to my king and my loyalty to him should be obvious in the way that I serve him and give my life for his agenda.

Have you welcomed Jesus to your life? Did you welcome him for who he really is or for who you wanted him to be?

RELATED ARTICLES
Journey To The Cross Series (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)
The Triumphal Entry (reasonablefaith.org)