Responding To God - 4 Lessons From Palm SundaySample

Make it a Season to Recognize His Timing

 On Palm Sunday, Biblical prophecy was being fulfilled right before the eyes of the people. Many things about Jesus' entry into Jerusalem clearly pointed to Him being the Savior and Messiah King! Some of them were,

· He rode an unused donkey which symbolized royalty. Zechariah 9:9 was being fulfilled, which says, “See, your king comes to you …, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey”. (Refer also Luke 19:35 and 1 Kings 1:33)

· Cloaks were spread on the ground which was a means of paying homage to royalty (Refer 2  Kings 9:13). 

· Palm branches were possibly waved (John 12:13) and spread on the road (Matthew 21:8).

· Psalm 118:26 was prophetically quoted by the disciples (Luke 19:38).

Sadly, with all the signs around them, the people just didn't seem to understand! As a result, in Luke 19:41-44, Jesus wept over Jerusalem’s future destruction and spoke the painful and prophetic words in Luke 19:42-44. I wonder whether it's the same with mankind today. The signs around us indicate the coming of the Lord is close at hand, but are we recognizing God's timing? Are we preparing for His coming? Jeremiah 8:7 tells us, “Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord”.

Illustration :

In 2004, the shoreline of my beloved country, Sri Lanka, was devastated by a horrifying and massive tsunami. The destruction caused in just a few minutes was unimaginable, with close to 40,000 lives lost and thousands of homes wiped out. One of the strange discoveries found out later, was that prior to the tsunami, animals in the wildlife reserves close to the sea, had through their instincts, somehow seemed to sense the danger that was approaching. As a result, they moved further inland and escaped the effects of the killer waves. 

As Palm Sunday approaches, let’s ask the Lord to help us to be sensitive to His plans for our generation. 

Next Step :

Let’s prepare ourselves today for His coming.