Who Is Jesus?预览

Who is Jesus? Entering Jerusalem

Picture this in your mind: the day had come. Jesus stands resolute as He is walking towards Jerusalem. He knows what lies ahead of Him. Word begins to spread, and people are leaving their homes and businesses to come see this man, Jesus of Nazareth. Prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 is fulfilled as Jesus is seated on the back of a donkey’s colt, which no one had ever sat upon, and has begun riding into town. People began shouting and crying aloud “Hosanna in the highest!” Individuals began taking their jackets off and laying them on the ground and when they ran out of jackets, they cut palm branches to lay down. The path was laid for the triumphal entrance of Jesus.

The people were excited to see Jesus arrive! The entire town was in an uproar over these events. They were expecting that Jesus would come in and conquer their enemies, overthrow Rome, free them from Roman occupation, and elevate the Jews above all others. However, just a few short days later, the crowds would turn on Him and shout, "Crucify Him!" So where does that leave us?

Reflect:
How do we, today, knowing the events of the past respond to what has happened? What can we take away? It is important for us to remember that we do the same things that those in the crowd did, whenever we choose to sin over believing the promises of God. We say with our mouths "Hosanna in the highest," and we lay our jackets down, but then we choose to sin against Him, doing the very thing that would send Him to the Cross, which paid our sin debt in full.

Respond:
This week, as we lead up to Easter, I want to challenge you. Not to feel guilt and shame, because there is now no condemnation for those in Jesus Christ, but to truly understand what Jesus did for us on the cross. He knew while He was seated on that donkey the sin you, I, and the whole world would do. Even then, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” In those moments where you want to sin, are tempted to sin, remember what Jesus did for us. Call out His Name and begin reading the Bible. Jesus loves us so much that He died for us, so let’s live for Him.

Pray:
Lord Jesus, thank You for what You did on the cross for us. Dying in our place, taking our sin debt, and freeing us from the slavery of sin. Let the words of our heart match the actions of our lives. Let us know who we are in You and reflect that in every moment of our lives. We love You, Jesus, and it’s in Your Name we pray, amen.