Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, John 12:12-19
Sunday – Palm Sunday.
Mark 11:9-10 – And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our Father David! Hosanna in the highest!
I have listed next to the picture passages of the Triumphal Entry. Please take the time and read each one. See if you can see what is similar and different. Hosanna, means “save”, the people had a different idea about what salvation meant then what Jesus meant.
The people thought that the Messiah would be a social activist and a political leader. They thought that the Messiah that they were waiting for would restore Israel nationally and rule the nations. They didn’t understand that Jesus came save the world was/is a spiritual salvation and to set up his kingdom and rule their hearts.
Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem, on a donkey, also fulfills Old Testament prophecy. He publicly fulfills that Jesus is Israel’s promised king and messiah. Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you, righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. The prophet Zechariah predicted this.
Jesus humbly coming on a donkey is a symbolic action to show his kingdom is not of this world. He did not come to rule us with force and violence. Jesus’s kingdom is a spiritual one, not political or military. The people had different thoughts or ideas fo what their future king would be.
Do you or did you ever have an expectation of someone and later was disappointed? Even when that person never gave you any reason to think that way? Or they said things but you took it the wrong way or misunderstood? How do you respond to this situation, person, or both? Do you feel this way about our Triune God?
Dear Heavenly Father,
As we enter in this time of Christ dying on the Cross for us, I pray that we will listen to your voice of what you what us to learn about you, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus. I pray that our hearts will be softened to you and that the sin we have we will deal with it.
In Jesus Name
Amen
