A Series on the Milestones
in Jesus’ Life
Mt 21:1-11
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
In
the 1979 classic Heinz Ketchup commercial, two little boys complain about
how slow the Ketchup comes out of the bottle onto their hamburger. As it does, the
Carly Simon song, “Anticipation”, plays in the background. The final tag line
is, “The taste that’s worth the wait”. (A link for the commercial is at the bottom of the page.)
Up
until now, Jesus had always been reticent about proclaiming who he was; even to
the point of telling others not to say anything about a miracle he performed,
or being recognized as the Messiah. It wasn’t a matter of humility, but of
timing. It hadn’t been the right time for him to claim his rightful place as
the Son of David… until now. It was a milestone.
9 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 NIV
By
riding the donkey into Jerusalem, Jesus not only fulfilled the prophecy of
Zechariah, but also made a powerful statement! He was claiming to be the king
who would fulfill the promise of David’s reign! This only served to increase
the anticipation of his arrival.
Other
events leading up to Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem included raising Lazarus from
the dead; the Pharisees planning to kill Jesus and Lazarus; Jesus and his
disciples laying low in the countryside; and large crowds of Jews gathering in
Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. It was a chaotic time; and the
anticipation was palpable.
Think
of this Palm Sunday story as a metaphor. Jerusalem represents your life. Just
like Jesus brought the Kingdom of God into Jerusalem, he brings the Kingdom of
God into your life, every day.
He’s
the Son of God, and can change your life. He can also use you to make a difference
in the lives of others. Will Jesus ride into your life today as king? What are
you anticipating for him to do?
No comments:
Post a Comment