Pray:
Father, help me to cling to You, to walk in truth and to turn from all that creates distance from You.
Read:
Matthew 21:1-11
Reflect:
How would you answer: Who is this?
The introduction of royalty typically involves a lot of pomp and ceremony. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem was also full of pomp and ceremony, but can you spot the elements of spontaneity (8)?
Matthew's story answers the question (10), "Who is this?" Jesus' choice of a young donkey to ride fulfilled a prophecy about God's coming king (Zech. 9:9). The song the people sing (9) derives from Psalm 118. It was a traditional psalm for singing on the uphill route from Jericho to Jerusalem. Both the donkey and the song provide answers to the question of verse 10.
This man riding into Jerusalem is the longed-for Son of David, the Messiah the people were hoping would come and save them. They were looking for a Messiah who would enter Jerusalem on a war horse, at the head of an army. Jesus, instead, rides a humble and lowly colt, showing that he comes as a king of peace, a humble and lowly servant for the ordinary pilgrims on the street.
Many people today are also unsure of who Jesus is to them. How can you, in daily life, reveal Jesus as the King of Kings?
Apply:
Do you know Jesus as the gentle and humble King, ready to lay down his life to save us?
Pray:
Lord, You are the mighty Lion of the Tribe of Judah. I bow before You, the humble Lamb that was slain.
