Matthew 21:8–11 (ESV) —
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
NOTE: While it might have been natural to celebrate Jesus' arrival into Jerusalem, and it fulfills a number of prophesies, it is actually the wrong celebration at the wrong time. He is not the conquering king but the suffering servant in this entrance. He will conquer sin by his death, but he will not give the people what they want. Instead, he will give them what they need, a savior to take away sin, and heal our souls -- this is our greatest need. The crowds are fickle. Some probably didn't even know why they were there (much like the crowd Demetrius stirred up in Ephesus). Many will be part of another crowd later that week which will scream out "crucify him." It seems people have a longing for significant events and the emotional upheaval, as long as it does not cause us any pain. Anyway, and fortunately, God knows our real needs and works for our good (as viewed from his perspective). Our need is a savior, not money, not prestige, not comfort, not excitement, not upheaval, but a savior to free us from our sin.
PONDER:
- Do I trust God for his best?
- Or do I have expectations from God for what I think is my best?
PRAYER: Father, I struggle with wanting my needs met in my way. Forgive me for a me-focused view and for not trusting you that you truly know what is best for me. Your good will always be better than my good.
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