Praise God!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Day 1: Jesus’ Triumphant Entry
Palm Sunday
Mark 11:1-11 NLT
1 As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.’”
4 The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. 5 As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it.
8 Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,
“Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!” 11 So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples.
The Jewish people had grown up knowing and anticipating the promise of the Messiah who would come to save them, but many Jews expected the Messiah to be a great military warrior. A warrior who would lead them in a revolt against the Roman Empire and expel them from the land. To their surprise, the Messiah did not come in the way they had anticipated. He was born in a humble manger, to humble parents, and in a humble city.
As the years passed, Jesus grew in fame for the miracles He performed and the message of compassion and salvation He preached. The multitudes knew Him, and now, in His triumphal entry as king, Jesus does not enter on a grand stage, with horses, chariots, or with trumpets. He enters Jerusalem on a donkey while the people in the streets laid down what they had along the road to worship him.
This week, remember that Jesus is our humble king. Jesus demonstrated God's love and power through service, not domination, and provided a model for followers to emulate, showing that true leadership lies in humility and self-sacrifice. He is a God who is not exclusive to just one type of person. He is a king who is accessible to all who approach Him.
It is also interesting to note that the people on the street did not bring gold or riches to offer Him. They offered what they could. With their garments and branches from the fields, they worshipped Jesus.
Jesus is not looking for a perfect heart, but a surrendered heart. Come before him with what you have. With your rags, with your branches, surrender your genuine worship before Him. King Jesus, that humble king, is present, and He wants to fill your life.
REFLECT: Is Jesus the king of your life? What can you learn from Jesus’ humility and how can you apply it to your own life? What do you have that you can offer to God in worship? What can you surrender?
Take a few minutes to think about this and right your reflections in a notebook or in your notes app.