4th April, 2022
Is it more appropriate to shout praises or assault him?
The arrival of Jesus on the 10th of Nissan during AD 30 was among history’s most significant events. It was the day and exact time Jehovah had set to be presented to the nation and the world as God’s Passover Lamb.
The exterior face of the Temple was coated with large gold plating that flashed a brilliance at the crack of dawn. “I was happy when they said to me, let us go to the Lord’s house,” such processions frequently declare “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it,” from Psalms chapter 121:1. It was time for Jesus to return to Jerusalem and finish his mission. The Passover drew a multitude to Jerusalem. Word had spread about the numerous miracles Jesus had performed. People presumably expected Jesus to make a grand entrance into Jerusalem, but unlike earthly monarchs and powerful armies, Jesus enters on a modest donkey. The people were looking for a savior, so when Jesus arrived, they rushed to greet him like a king as described in Zechariah chapter 9: 9.
Have any of you ever attended a political party’s convention a parade especially an independence parade?
On the other hand, Jesus rode a shabby, borrowed ass. An ass. A donkey. The horse’s family smallest, least beautiful, and most stubborn part. It is devoid of grace.It doesn’t even have a stallion-like neigh. It brays instead. The ass’ “bray” is a grating, obnoxious sound.
The mounted victors were followed by battalions marching in perfect order and exhibiting the finest weapons as they made their dramatic debuts. On the other side, a crowd trailed Jesus, carrying just branches with leaves taken from nearby palm trees. Every conqueror’s magnificent entrance into a conquered city was followed by a coronation. They would adorn the new subjects’ heads with emerald and gold encrusted crowns, indicating their status as kings and emperors. Jesus was also crowned. The crown, on the other hand, was devoid of gems. There were only thorns on it. Every spectacular entry into a conquered city indicated more geographical territory for the victors’ dominion. No land was won by Jesus. Instead, He conquered hearts, which are the center of man’s essence and the source of his willpower. The people who’d been defeated became serfs and servants of those who conquered them. He appeared to be the cause of a rising anarchy state, the cause of a state of chaos to the other religious leaders.
However, Jesus made it clear made it clear that this was not the purpose of his conquest. He proclaimed, “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” The conqueror’s claims to longevity would expand with each magnificent arrival into a defeated city. The subjugated people’s bowed heads fueled delusions that the conqueror would live eternally. Jesus, on the other hand, certainly didn’t travel to Jerusalem to claim immortality, but to die. Conquerors may demand that their defeated subjects fight for them in future wars.
Jesus was a unique individual. When history’s greatest conquerors made their grand entrances into vanquished territories, such entrances meant slavery – bondage for those who were conquered. Jesus was a unique individual. Those whose hearts he has won are freed from their enslavement. They achieve their goal of becoming free men. He declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
What position would you have had in that spectacular event if it had been recreated today? Consider that JESUS spoke of a lifestyle wherein one’s true beliefs are the same as their actions. JESUS desires to enter your life and make a positive difference by purifying, guiding, and regulating it. In His life, He had a historic moment that paralleled a spiritual awakening that you would like to have.
Can you sense their joy at the prospect of the anticipated Messiah? Can you sense their eagerness to be liberated from oppression? It is without doubt a day of celebration. Do you recognize yourself among the crowd? Welcoming him only when you need Him. Because everything is safe and sound, worship God with “Hosanna, in the heavens.” When all is falling apart, the authorities arrived and you cannot get what you want, you’ll depart, betray, sin and scream, “Kill him.” You sing praises to him as King, but when he fails to meet your expectations, you want to nail him to the cross.
Are you the type to embrace the clergy, leaders, or anyone in general, then, once you discover their flaws, you’re the one who despises them and wants them to die? You will never completely understand the joy and freedom that the almighty has in store for us unless you regard yourself as a terrible sinner incapable of saving yourself through your own efforts. Today, assist me to see God at work in and through you. I’d like to witness God at work within and through you, in your feelings, ideas, words, and deeds. In and through humble hearts, God is shown. Isn’t it amazing how humble Jesus became for us? So, how about you? Is it possible for you to be humble in front of God? People recognized Jesus’ humility and exploited it against him, which is ironic. To offer a flawless example of humility, he humbled himself. It is a process of de-cluttering. I’m asking you to follow suit. Be modest. Imitate biblical words and embrace it. Allow Jehovah to use me through getting rid of our ego. The world will see God’s children living and reigning in us if we reflect his words.
Consider this as we worship today. Is there anything in my life that might cause our Heavenly father to cry? Are we ambivalent about praising and supporting if we get our way? When we don’t get what we want, we scream, “Crucify Him!” Is Jehovah bothered by our blemished vision? Everything starts with repentance. Assist me to see God in myself and in you, a true servant of God.
Would you one week later have screamed “CRUCIFY HIM!” if he didn’t live up to your expectations? Is your attitude now the same as the Pharisees’ viewpoint in Matthew 16:6? Remember that it was the religious leaders who felt threatened by Jesus and then assassinated him. Let us examine ourselves and our perspectives. Would you have acted in the very same manner as that of the apostles in John 6 :60? “This is a difficult saying; who can understand it?” they say before abandoning him.
The other side of the debate is still relevant today. Some people are amazed by what they have heard and seen from Jesus, and they wonder, “Who is this man who can do such incredible things?” There’s the New Testament’s account of Jesus’ life. For nearly 2,000 years, this book has been passed down from generation to generation and from one language to another. Kingdoms have risen and fallen throughout history. Ideologies and philosophies have come and gone, but despite the different voices and views, people have persisted to hold up the name of Jesus. Who is this who can remain relevant in His teachings and still be revered?
Today, many people live lifestyles they could never have dreamed. Perhaps you were born into a family with poor resources and living conditions. Maybe you were born in an area where people assumed you’d never make it, and that you’d never amount to anything. Then you encountered Jesus, and He began to open doors in your life, and you began to go places and receive blessings you could never have dreamed. Who is this man who can turn Capernaum fisherman into worldwide celebrities? Who is this who can convert his opponent, a Pharisee named Saul into a strong advocate of the gospel on Damascus Road?
Who is this that can transform surgeons, teachers, musicians, scientists, preachers, intellectuals, and leaders from people who have experienced misery and suffering? Who is capable to lift the sons and daughters of poverty and limited means into lives of promise, prosperity, and potential? Who is this person who can look at injustice all around the world and instill hope in the people who are living in oppression and injustice, then empower those people to go about doing the work that will make their world a better place? Who is this mysterious figure? It appears to be something that can only be achieved by divinity.
Who is this person? was the crowd’s question on that day, and it still stands today, waiting for every one of us to respond. Who is this person? Do you talk with scorn and contempt when you say these words? Or do you have a different perspective on Jesus? Do you agree with people who believed Jesus was a prophet across Israel? Many of His followers exclaimed as Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day, “This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth in Galilee.”
In the New Testament, Jesus questioned his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?”. All of the disciples answered except one “Some claim You are Elijah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, or another prophet,” they could only answer. “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” Peter declared affirmatively.
Who is this character?
• Judas received 30 silver coins before committing himself; who is this?
The words of rebuke to Jesus from the religious leaders must not be disregarded. The account of Palm Sunday in Luke 19 concludes with “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout.’”
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” The multitude cheered; the Pharisees complained. The pharisees were undoubtedly aware of the importance of that cheer. The crowds of people were linking Jesus, the carpenter’s son from Nazareth, with the anticipated Messiah.
The pharisees were concerned because Jesus was not the liberator they had hoped for. How could a carpenter’s son overcome the strength of the Roman Empire and all the other empires that had repeatedly attacked Israel? How could this guy Jesus, by fulfilling God’s promise to send a redeemer for his people, affect the world?
We frequently read our bibles or listen to a sermon and lament the behavior of all people who opposed Jesus. Jesus delivered a message that was unlike anything they’d heard before and it was supported by scripture. They witnessed Him perform miracles and demonstrated himself, but they chose to ignore Him. We imagine or declare that if we had been alive at the time, we would have supported Jesus.
Your current attitude reflects how you would have acted back then. How you react to the truth now reflects how you might have reacted in the past. I’m referring about how you respond to messages that contradict your personal beliefs. That is exactly what Jesus and the apostles accomplished.
Many individuals will do the same thing today. They will choose to confront and correct Jesus. Many people these days are obsessed with the outward appearance only. They worshipped with their mouths, but their hearts were far away. They established their own piety and godliness, but not based on knowledge, as many people do nowadays. They changed the meaning of the word to suit their needs, as many people do today. Some individuals were apathetic and unconcerned. Many people are today.
On the donkey, travelling into Jerusalem that day, Jesus did not put on the kind of show that some people expected of the “promised messiah”.
Today, I pray that Jesus’s words find their way into everyone hearts. May the freeing impact of Jesus’ great entrance into our lives be felt by all of us. That, indeed, will be the grandest of all entrances.
As a result, Jesus responds, “Even the stones would yell!” God is being praised by inanimate rocks upon Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem. Who is this mysterious character?