Psalms 74-76
Romans 9:16-33
“...when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8
In Matthew 21 when Jesus entered Jerusalem, it was a grand reception. People were celebrating the King that had finally arrived—the Messiah that they were waiting for—by spreading their cloaks or tree branches on the road as they cheered, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9). But what started to emerge when the King arrived was a number of political, theological factions that did not want this King to rule. The priests, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and people in power started to have debates with Jesus, trying to trap Him in His words. It only took five days to go from the grand celebration to His cruel death on a cross.
Throughout Matthew 20-23, Jesus interacted with all these political parties who did not want the King to rule. With great sorrow in His heart, all this came to a culmination with seven woes that Jesus pronounced against the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. As Jesus walked out of Jerusalem, there was lament in His heart because in what should have been a recognition of King Jesus coming to His people, He could see the tides turning and the crucifixion coming. In His lament, He prayed over the city: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing” (Matthew 23:37).
Jesus lamented His people’s refusal to repent and believe the good news of who He is. He demonstrated His authority on the Temple Mount, trying to teach the people to turn from their error, but they were not listening. As Jesus walked away, His disciples went to Him to call His attention to how impressive the Temple was, but Jesus rebuked them: “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down” (Matthew 24:2). The disciples were caught up with buildings and structures and forms of worship, but Jesus looked past all that. What Jesus saw was a Temple, a city that claimed to worship God but their hearts were far from Him; it was just pretending and going through the motions.
Are we like the people, celebrating who we think Jesus is without understanding what it means to fully submit to Him as our Saviour? Are we like the religious leaders, focused on politics and control instead of God? Are we like the disciples, distracted by the external and missing true worship?
Dear Jesus, You are my Saviour and Lord. My heart’s desire is to worship You truly. I ask that You draw me close to Your heart. Thank You, Lord.
Romans 9:16-33
“...when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8
In Matthew 21 when Jesus entered Jerusalem, it was a grand reception. People were celebrating the King that had finally arrived—the Messiah that they were waiting for—by spreading their cloaks or tree branches on the road as they cheered, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9). But what started to emerge when the King arrived was a number of political, theological factions that did not want this King to rule. The priests, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and people in power started to have debates with Jesus, trying to trap Him in His words. It only took five days to go from the grand celebration to His cruel death on a cross.
Throughout Matthew 20-23, Jesus interacted with all these political parties who did not want the King to rule. With great sorrow in His heart, all this came to a culmination with seven woes that Jesus pronounced against the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. As Jesus walked out of Jerusalem, there was lament in His heart because in what should have been a recognition of King Jesus coming to His people, He could see the tides turning and the crucifixion coming. In His lament, He prayed over the city: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing” (Matthew 23:37).
Jesus lamented His people’s refusal to repent and believe the good news of who He is. He demonstrated His authority on the Temple Mount, trying to teach the people to turn from their error, but they were not listening. As Jesus walked away, His disciples went to Him to call His attention to how impressive the Temple was, but Jesus rebuked them: “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down” (Matthew 24:2). The disciples were caught up with buildings and structures and forms of worship, but Jesus looked past all that. What Jesus saw was a Temple, a city that claimed to worship God but their hearts were far from Him; it was just pretending and going through the motions.
Are we like the people, celebrating who we think Jesus is without understanding what it means to fully submit to Him as our Saviour? Are we like the religious leaders, focused on politics and control instead of God? Are we like the disciples, distracted by the external and missing true worship?
Dear Jesus, You are my Saviour and Lord. My heart’s desire is to worship You truly. I ask that You draw me close to Your heart. Thank You, Lord.
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