Holy Week: A Walk Through Jesus' Final DaysНамуна

Holy Monday

When Jesus enters the temple, it’s the first sign that the mood of Sunday’s Triumphal entry is changing. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds lined the streets to cheer and praise Him. It was supposed to be a parade for a new king. They were expecting a military Messiah that was going to overthrow their Roman oppressors. According to that plan, when Jesus enters the temple, He should have started rallying the troops. Imagine a great military leader giving a speech that stirs the hearts of the people into battle. If He wanted a military coup, the temple would be the best place to start. Instead, we find Him flipping over tables and chairs and shouting in righteous anger. You can almost imagine the people watching in horror as they realize things aren’t going according to plan.

This act marks an important shift for the people as they realize Jesus is not who they want Him to be. By wrecking the tables of the temple merchants, Jesus is showing the Jews that their biggest obstacle to receiving salvation from a Messiah isn’t the Romans. The biggest obstacle is their hearts. For all of Jesus’ ministry, He has been preaching that a new kingdom is coming. Over and over, He tells them that this is a different kind of kingdom, but the people still don’t understand. They are so set on their own interpretation of what a Messiah should be. Even after all that, they fail to realize that Jesus isn’t coming to free them from physical oppression. He’s coming to free them from spiritual oppression. It’s not what they want, but a loving Father doesn’t give His children what they want. He gives them what they need.

Reflection/Prayer

While hindsight gives us a better understanding of God’s plan, there are plenty of ways in which we expect Jesus to do something for us and He chooses something better for us. It’s not too hard to relate to the Israelites wanting one thing and Jesus giving them something that is better for the condition of their hearts. In what ways is God trying to show you a different, unexpected path? Spend some time praying and asking God to help you set your heart on the new kingdom that Jesus was preaching.