This week is the start and culmination of some of the most important acts in the history of Christian faith. On a Sunday some 2,000+ years ago, Jesus and his disciples were traveling into Jerusalem. Think of the mindset of Jesus during this journey. He knows his Father's will so he is full aware of what will be taking place over the next week so the man aspect of Jesus has to be somewhat stressed and troubled with that kind of weight on him.
As they approached Jerusalem, he sent two of his disciples to the next village up, most likely Bethphage, and instructed them on where they would find a foal of a donkey tied up. They were to untie the donkey and bring it back to him and if it questioned by anyone were to respond "The Lord has need of it." Mark's account of the story tells us that this is in fact what happened. Bystanders are standing around as two strangers just walk up and proceed to untie a foal, possibly one of theirs or belonging to a neighbor. Yet when met with the disciples' response that it was for the Lord they allowed them to go freely.
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem atop the donkey, the prophecy of Zechariah from some 450-500 years earlier was fulfilled; "Behold, your King is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden." The disciples laid their cloaks on the donkey for Jesus to sit. And as they travelled along the road, many people in the crowd laid their cloaks on the ground, while others cut palm branches and laid them along the road.
The crowd was continually growing and becoming more excited. They were shouting "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" and "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" Some members of the crowd had been witnesses of Jesus' miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead and they were telling other members of the crowds of the story. This excitement over Jesus began to agitate the Pharisees and they asked Jesus to rebuke his disciples. Jesus responded to them that if the people were quiet, even the stones would cry out his praise.
As Jesus entered Jerusalem he looked at all that was going on and was so troubled by what he saw that he wept over the city. Then he and the disciples retired for the night to Bethany.
Thoughts:
- Jesus prepared the disciples for the confrontation they would face when going to get the foal. He prepares us today as well. God has filled all believers with the Holy Spirit and given us His Word to study daily to be prepared for whatever we may face. He also knows the trials we will face and will give us special training and preparation that is necessary. So don't sweat the difficult things you're going through, they may be the training that will benefit you even greater later on in life.
- The crowd was so missing the point of who Jesus really was that they would go from crying out "Hosanna!" on Sunday to "crucify him" by the end of the week. They dreaming of him as a military Messaih and putting their own personal desires on him. Are we doing that today? Who is Jesus for you? Someone to take care of your needs and wants? Or is He Lord and Master who we serve because He gave up his life for us?
As they approached Jerusalem, he sent two of his disciples to the next village up, most likely Bethphage, and instructed them on where they would find a foal of a donkey tied up. They were to untie the donkey and bring it back to him and if it questioned by anyone were to respond "The Lord has need of it." Mark's account of the story tells us that this is in fact what happened. Bystanders are standing around as two strangers just walk up and proceed to untie a foal, possibly one of theirs or belonging to a neighbor. Yet when met with the disciples' response that it was for the Lord they allowed them to go freely.
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem atop the donkey, the prophecy of Zechariah from some 450-500 years earlier was fulfilled; "Behold, your King is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden." The disciples laid their cloaks on the donkey for Jesus to sit. And as they travelled along the road, many people in the crowd laid their cloaks on the ground, while others cut palm branches and laid them along the road.
The crowd was continually growing and becoming more excited. They were shouting "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" and "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" Some members of the crowd had been witnesses of Jesus' miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead and they were telling other members of the crowds of the story. This excitement over Jesus began to agitate the Pharisees and they asked Jesus to rebuke his disciples. Jesus responded to them that if the people were quiet, even the stones would cry out his praise.
As Jesus entered Jerusalem he looked at all that was going on and was so troubled by what he saw that he wept over the city. Then he and the disciples retired for the night to Bethany.
Thoughts:
- Jesus prepared the disciples for the confrontation they would face when going to get the foal. He prepares us today as well. God has filled all believers with the Holy Spirit and given us His Word to study daily to be prepared for whatever we may face. He also knows the trials we will face and will give us special training and preparation that is necessary. So don't sweat the difficult things you're going through, they may be the training that will benefit you even greater later on in life.
- The crowd was so missing the point of who Jesus really was that they would go from crying out "Hosanna!" on Sunday to "crucify him" by the end of the week. They dreaming of him as a military Messaih and putting their own personal desires on him. Are we doing that today? Who is Jesus for you? Someone to take care of your needs and wants? Or is He Lord and Master who we serve because He gave up his life for us?
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