April 10 I Sunday

1 Samuel 15-16

Luke 10:25-42

“When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred…”    —Matthew 21:10

Just over 2,000 years ago, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and completely turned the world upside down, or maybe right side up, depending on how we look at things. Jesus did not just disrupt the city of Jerusalem; He disrupted the whole world, and basically the entirety of human history, with what He did. Jesus’s actions during Holy week that culminated at His crucifixion and resurrection would disrupt every school of religion, every school of philosophy and every scientific claim. Jesus was going into Jerusalem to fulfill His mission on earth.

      There were people who went ahead of Jesus spreading their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds were shouting, “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). All of this was a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy in Zechariah, where he wrote, “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” (Zechariah 9:9).

      The nation of Israel had been waiting for this moment for thousands of years and this was it! Jesus would enter into His rightful place among His people. The nation welcomed Him as their Messiah and King, while there were some who resisted Him, believing Him to be a deceiver and even the devil himself.

      One of the first things Jesus did was go to the Temple. He overturned the marketplace that was in the Temple, where people were buying and selling. He was creating trouble within Jerusalem. He also healed the lame and restored sight to the blind; in fact, even the children were worshipping Him, saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Matthew 21:15). All of this made the religious leaders furious. They refused to receive Jesus for who He said He was—the Son of God—and spent the rest of the week plotting how they might kill Him. Luke tells us, “Every day He was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill Him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on His words” (Luke 19:47-48). Right up to the crucifixion on Friday, the religious elite were questioning Jesus’s authority and His theology.

      On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem, stirring up mixed responses. For us today, the King has come—what will our response be to Him?

Prayer: Precious Jesus, I worship You as the King of kings for You are worthy to be worshipped! May I spend this week in solemn remembrance of what You came to do on earth. Thank You, Lord.