Matthew 21:1-11
Let’s remember to pray for Jim and Marty.
“Notice what you notice.” I’m at a point where I might say, “I’m at a loss for words”, except that my heart is so full of joy that I can barely contain myself. We are almost two-thirds through our calendar year and our walk through the Gospels; Jesus is just now entering His final week. We will spend the last four months of the year on His Passion and His Resurrection appearances. Most recently He has raised Lazarus from the dead, He has been anointed with oil by Lazarus’ sister, Mary, and now He is on His way to the destiny that awaits Him in Jerusalem. A “very great multitude” (v. 8, NKJV) follows on the road behind and goes before Him, cutting branches from trees and even throwing their clothes on the road in front of Him. It’s a procession fit for a king and many in the crowd are expecting Jesus to be their King, their Messiah. Indeed, He is – but not in the manner that they were presupposing.
From our eight months of reading and study I now have a much better picture of the events leading up to this final week. I have a much better sense of the geography of the area – Galilee, Samaria, Judea, the Jordan River, Jericho, Bethany, the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, the Temple. I find myself in that crowd, following along quietly (as is my nature), but delighted to be part of this bit of History and waiting to see what happens next. The chief priests and the Pharisees are waiting for Him in Jerusalem. Will they recognize what the crowd sees and acknowledge Him as King or will they continue to confront Him and hatch their sinister plot to destroy Him? But that’s a few days off. For now, let’s rejoice! GLORY!!
Slava Bohu!
Indeed, Fred. I was struck by Jesus’ quoting Zechariah. Since I’ve never read through Zechariah, I got sidetracked. By riding the donkey and colt (how did he do both?) as in Zech 9.9, Jesus made a clear claim as Messiah. No ifs, ands, or buts! And he referenced both his first and second coming from Zechariah 9.10+. Hosanna!!!