3-28-15 Lessons from the "King of Israel"

9Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

12The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.13They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!^d ” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”^e “Blessed is the king of Israel!” (John 12)

Thoughts: The context of Palm Sunday and Jesus' crucifixion began with what happened in Bethany.  The secularists miss this.  Without the miracles of Christ, and especially the two miracles that bookcased passion week (the resurrection of Lazarus and the resurrection of Jesus), Jesus would have been just a good teacher who died and the "movement" would have been snuffed out like the movement of Judas the Galilean in 6 AD or the rebellious movements of 70 and 120 AD that died out.  The crowds gathered at the top of the Mount of Olives- at Bethany- because of Lazarus' resurrection.  This happened just a few days before the Passover.  The crowds at Jerusalem swelled to over a million (like the crowds at the beach in the summertime swell).  The Romans and the Jewish authorities were nervous about another rebellion, and word that a king was proclaimed riding into Jerusalem no doubt made them more nervous.  But Pilate rightly knew Jesus was changing the religion more than the government.  The crowds that followed Jesus were children and the poorer folk who did not have places to stay in the city.  They were not afraid that the soldiers would stop their parade.  Jesus did not come on a war horse but on a baby donkey. We do not need to be afraid to praise God.  Our purpose is not to change the government or to achieve or deny civil rights.  Our purpose is the changing of the soul.  Jesus always cared for the needy- the physically needy.  But He was less concerned about laws than He was about individual treatment and fairness, and going the extra mile.  The church should care about justice.  Certainly Jesus kept the condemning from stoning the woman caught in adultery.  But when the church gets involved in government too much on the left or the right we lose our purpose and our soul.  The resurrection power of Christ changes and corrects all injustices.  It is not all up to us.  

Prayer: Lord, help to always look to help the helpless. But Lord, help me to keep my eyes fixed on you and that your kingdom is not of this world.  

3-15-14 The King's Procession

12The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.13They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna! ”“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!”

14Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

15“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;

see, your king is coming,

seated on a donkey’s colt.”

16At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

17Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” (John 12:12-19)

Thoughts: John indicates that a lot of the excitement for Jesus' coming to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was because word spread because of Lazarus' resurrection.  Other gospels speak of the excitement caused by his "many" miracles (Lk. 19:37).  They called Jesus "King" which was bound to upset both the Romans and the Jewish authorities.  But Jesus was not that kind of king.  He rode a colt- the foal of a donkey into Jerusalem both in fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy about the Messiah, and as a sign of being a prince of Israel (for the princes rode donkeys- Judges 10:4).  Jesus is the King who saves us (Hosanna means "Lord save.").  He is our Savior, and He came to Jerusalem at Passover to bring the salvation that comes from being the sacrificial "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."  He is worthy of our praise. 

Prayer: Lord, you are worthy of our attention and praise.  Thank you for being my Savior and King.