|
by kingsjester |
Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage[a] and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; 2 and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. 3 And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.”
4 So they went their way, and found the[b] colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. 5 But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?”6 And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. 8 And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:11 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. - Mark 11:1-11
What must it have been like, in Jesus's day, as they waited on and then experienced, His arrival into Jerusalem?
They must have really been puzzled at this carpenter's son from Nazareth.
The
only information that they had on Jesus back then, was word of mouth.
There was no internet and was no television there was no communication
of any form except for word of mouth.
We
all know how information that is shared word of mouth changes from the
original message with each person that tells the story.
By
the time word came to Jerusalem, they probably thought that Jesus was a
conquering Warrior King, who was going to set them free of the tyranny
of Rome.
They were right and wrong, all the same time.
Jesus
Christ came to set them free, all right, but it was not from Pontius
Pilate and the Roman Empire. Christ came to set us all free...from our
sin. Sin is a thief, which destroys us from within and everyone around
us, keeping us in slavery so that we will not ever be truly free.
What must they have thought when they saw this promised King come riding in on the back of a lowly donkey?
I
am sure that there were some in attendance who experienced a major
letdown. Their minds probably had difficulty, trying to reconcile their
pre-conceived expectations of Jesus, with the reality of the Son of God.
Who was this guy on the donkey that the local kids were laying palm branches down in front of?
It
may seem strange, but today's non-believers seem to still be
experiencing that problem with reconciling their preconceived notions of
whom Jesus Christ is, with the reality of His unconditional love and
acceptance, after repentance.
They don't seem to understand that...
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ meets you where you are with an extended hand, not a shield and sword.
...That comes later.
The hard
part about Salvation is accepting the fact that, as human beings, we
all possess a sinful nature. And, that without His love and indwelling
within us, we can do nothing at all.
Christ has done his part. He died for our sins.
Now,
if you haven't accepted him yet as your Personal Savior, it is up to
you to do your part and seek forgiveness for your sins.
All
those centuries ago, those common people of Jerusalem, at least, most
of them, did not have a clue as to whom Jesus actually was, and the fact
that they were entertaining the King of Kings, the Son of God.
In Modern American Society, we do not have that excuse.
We have God's Word, available to us, in many translations, in paperback, hard-cover, in audio and video, and on-line.
There
is no excuse, in any Modern Culture, especially here in America, to not
be familiar with the Root of Jesse, the Lily of the Valley, the Bright
and Morning Star, the Lion of Judah, the Son of God, the King of Kings,
the Lord of Lords.
We in this generation, may have the same opportunity to see Christ, as those in Jerusalem did, so long ago.
Although no man knows the hour, Christ is coming again.
And, he's coming for all those who worship Him in beauty and in truth.
Will YOU recognize him?
As the following song says,
"Praise God! He's coming for me!"
The King is Coming (Words and Music by Bill Gaither)
The marketplace is empty, no more traffic in the street All the builder's tools are silent, no more time to harvest wheat Busy housewives cease their labor, in the courtroom no debate Work on earth has been suspended as the King comes through the gateHappy faces line the hallway, those whose lives have been redeemed Broken homes He has mended, those from prison He has freed Little children and the aged hand in hand stand all a-glow Who were crippled, broken, ruined, clad in garments white as snowChorus: The King is coming, the King is coming I just heard the trumpet sounding and soon His face I'll see The King is coming, the King is coming Praise God, He's coming for meI can hear the chariots rumble, I can see the marching throng And the flurry of God's trumpet spells the end of sin and wrong Regal robes are now unfolded, heaven's grandstands all in place Heaven's choir is now assembled, start to sing "Amazing Grace"Chorus: The King is coming, the King is coming I just heard the trumpet sounding and soon His face I'll see The King is coming, the King is coming Praise God, He's coming for me
Until He Comes,
KJ
No comments:
Post a Comment