Did you know the Sunday before Easter is marked as Palm Sunday? Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Jesus resurrection and a few days before His death on the cross. On Palm Sunday we read the story of Jesus Triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The crowds will worship their King on His way, by the waving of Palm branches, calling this day, Palm Sunday.
I titled this devotion, “Jesus is on His Way”
This story is found in all 4 of the gospels in the New Testament (the word gospel meaning, the good news of Jesus.) There you will find each account of Jesus triumphal entry as King on His way to Jerusalem. This Triumphal entry is His public presentation as the nation’s Messiah before He is sentenced to death on the cross for all mankind’s sin.
In the gospel of John, you will see that he shares a brief narrative of this event, Luke a long narrative, and Matthew and Mark describe their narratives with vivid details. I encourage you to read them all. All the scriptures are inspired (God breathed) of God. Holy men of God spoke the Word as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. So let God reveal His spoken Word to you today as we read.
I love reading each account, for each one highlights different scenes of the same story. Now to help us to understand a little better about the different scenes being played out in these gospels, I wanted to share with you what a former Assembly of God General Superintendent, George Wood, said about this. He shared that “ if we believe the scriptures do not contradict themselves, how do we explain the differences among the accounts?” and I like this, “Reconciling these accounts is easy if you think of a camera. Looking at the same scene, the camera can either take a panoramic shot or focus and zoom in on something that stands out.”
This is true for us too, as we read the Word of God individually or hear a sermon, or a Bible study as we meet together as a body. The Holy Spirit will zoom in on what God wants us to see and hear from His Word.
I chose to read today from Mark’s gospel, in chapter 11 beginning with verse 1. 11 As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.’” 4 The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. 5 As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it. 8 Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!” 11 So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples.
In this passage, Jesus came down from the Mount of Olives, from across the narrow Kidron Valley and was headed on His way up to Jerusalem. There is so much to glean from these scriptures, but today I just want to zoom in on a few scenes from this story.
First of all, this passage fulfills the prophecy from Zechariah 9:9 that says
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
I love to see how scripture interprets scripture. We see prophecy fulfilled in this very story as well. Here Jesus is presenting Himself as the King prophesied by Jeremiah. He comes as a humble King, a Servant, the Savior of the world, righteous and victorious on His way to Jerusalem to give His life on a criminals cross for our sins.
Luke 19:10 tells us “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Aren’t you glad for the great love of Jesus, that compelled Him to kept going. The Bible says even His own people, the Jews did not recognize Him as King, John 1: 11 says “He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.” Aren’t you glad for the Good News in Romans 10:13? It says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Next, I would like to zoom in on the crowd as they began spreading their garments and palm branches on the road ahead of Him. The scriptures say that “Jesus was in the center of the procession” and the people were around Him shouting praises. There were many in the crowd that day around Jesus, besides His disciples. In this crowd were miracles, those that were hungry and are now fed (both physically and spiritually.) The poor, the broken, and those in great need of a savior. This is a large crowd for many witnessed the raising of Lazarus. He is also there for you and me. Did you know that? Do you have a need today? Is He your Savior? Then gather around Him, get close, seek Him, for you will find Him. Jeremiah 29:13 KJV says “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” We can see in these passages by the crowds’ shouts of praise, that they believed their deliverer had come now! Let’s look. * “Praise God! They shouted ( KJV-Hosanna-meaning Save Now) here is a cry of praise and a cry for help, now! * “Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David.” They were blessing Him and the Kingdom He brings! * “Praise God in highest heaven” they shouted!” (KJV-Hosanna in the highest) being the Highest cry of praise! The crowd that day thought today was that day, as Jesus was on His way, that He would be crowned their earthly king.
For the last glimpse from the lens I thought we might look back for a moment to see when Jesus first began to be on His way to Jerusalem in the scriptures. I knew I needed to keep the scripture in context. So, I started looking back…. Looking back in Mark chapter 10: 17 it says, “ As Jesus was “starting out on His way to Jerusalem” ……”( Here he is leaving Galilee) Then in Mark 10:32- it says “they were now on the way up to Jerusalem….”(Here Jesus once again describes everything that is going to happen to Him to His disciples) Then in Verses 33-34 You hear Him say, “Listen”,’ “”we’re going up to Jerusalem……” where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. 34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.”… It was here that I realized, Jesus has always been on His Way, to give His life as a ransom for many- Mark 10:45 says,” For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus was on His way even before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1:4 tell us, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” Luke 19:10 says “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Jesus has always been on His way! Aren’t you thankful for His great love that He wanted us to be saved. But listen, the Good News continues, He is still on His way to rapture us so that we can share in His Glory! Aren’t you glad He is still on His way?
Hosanna! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David.” Praise God in highest heavens!