Possibility For Salvation!

Truthfully, hope can be hard to find at a funeral...unless...the person being mourned brings a promise of living again! That is the hope that we have this week. Even in the betrayal of Jesus, the crucifixion of Jesus, and the death of Jesus, we still find hope because of the miracles that come later.

Before I encourage you with the hope found on Monday, let’s step back 24 hours.

On the Sunday before his death, Jesus began his trip to Jerusalem knowing that he would lay down His life for our sins. Nearing the village of Bethphage, He sent two of his disciples ahead, telling them to look for a donkey and its unbroken colt. The disciples were instructed to untie the animals and bring them to Him. Then, Jesus sat on the young donkey and slowly, humbly, made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, fulfilling the ancient prophecy in Zechariah 9:9

"Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9, NIV)

The crowds welcomed Him by waving palm branches in the air and shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" What a joy! The King arrived and He is still ruling and reigning today! There is hope for us! “Hosanna” means “God save us” and we know now, He has made a way for our salvation!

The following morning, Jesus returned with His disciples to Jerusalem. Along the way, He cursed a fig tree because it had failed to bear fruit. I believe that Jesus was teaching a lesson to all of us. He was demonstrating that genuine faith is more than just outward religiosity; true, living faith must bear spiritual fruit in a person's life. Today, we can find hope in the fact that when we truly follow Jesus, the fruit of our fig tree is healthy and a testimony that Jesus is a transforming and sustaining Savior!

Take a moment and thank God for the fruit of His Spirit in your life! Thank God for how He is working in you. Bear GOOD fruit through His power and purpose, today.

When Jesus arrived at the Temple, he found the courts full of corrupt money changers. He began overturning their tables and clearing the Temple, saying, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves" (Luke 19:46, NIV)

While the condition of the Temple is heartbreaking, I find hope in the fact the doors of the House of Prayer are still open to us today. Let’s take a moment, on this Holy Monday and enter this House of Prayer:

“Jesus, we honor you as our King. You are humble and powerful and we celebrate that YOU still rule and reign today. We ask that you help us to bear good fruit! We want the fruit of our lives to bring others into a saving knowledge of Jesus. Lord Jesus, thank you that we can still come to the House of Prayer. As we enter in, may our hearts be filled with gratitude and hope! We celebrate you on this Holy Monday. Amen.”

You are a Miracle!

Your friend,

Grant Fishbook

P.S. The texts of this reading come from the daily email A Miracle Every Day. If you would like to receive a daily encouragement, I invite you to subscribe to A Miracle Every Day.