Palm Sunday
PALM SUNDAY
SCRIPTURE | Mark 11:1-11
1“Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’ ” 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
TODAY’S THOUGHT | Jesus The King
The people of Israel were waiting and hoping for a king who would save them from the occupation of Rome. “Hosanna” literally means to save – “save, we pray!” Palm Sunday falls on the first day of Passover Week, a time to recall how God saved the nation of Israel from slavery in Egypt many years prior. Now the nation is crying out again – looking to Jesus as a national, for local salvation from earthly tyranny.
Jesus IS the King! Jesus is bringing salvation but not in the way that people wanted or expected. When Jesus didn’t meet their expectations their songs of praise would turn to shouts of condemnation in just a few days, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
Some people reject Jesus, not because of who he is but who they wanted him to be?
Do you worship Jesus or condemn Jesus because of who he is or who you want/wanted him to be? We have an opportunity this week to see Jesus for who he is – The King. Not just the King of a small group of people in small area of world. Jesus is claiming to be King of all people, across all time, and all nations. Will you follow Jesus for who he is?
PRAY
Ask God to help you worship Jesus in spirit and in truth – not for who you want or expect Jesus to be – but for who he is truly.