1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21:1-11)
For the last five weeks, we have been exploring eleven Spiritual Disciplines through the lens of the theme: A World in Need. Now, as we enter the last week of our 2020 journey (Passion week) we will intensify our focus on Jesus, the one person to have walked the face of the earth and not only completely understood the real needs of the world but made full provision for them.
Today, we consider the pivotal moment of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem at the start of Passion week. Through this triumphal entry, the world is compelled to consider the all-important matter of sovereignty. In His entry, Jesus wasn’t looking for selfish recognition. Instead, He demonstrated that our fundamental need is the spiritual need to give up our false claim to the throne of our life and declare Him as the legitimate sovereign. The world keeps telling God, “we don’t need you as king.” Jesus enters Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and powerfully responds, “yes you do!” This lesson would likely not have been lost on some in the audience because it was reminiscent of what played out when king David had Solomon ride on a mule into Jerusalem to declare him as legitimate successor to the throne (1 Kings 1). David did this in response to the action of one of his other sons. Adonijah attempted to surreptitiously assume the throne but his plans were thwarted and the right king (Solomon) was eventually installed. A similar battle plays out constantly for the throne of our lives.
(Note the validation of the following Disciplines: Bible Study, Worship and Spiritual Warfare).
Please prayerfully read the passage above and answer the questions below.
Questions
- Are you allowing God to reign in all areas of your life?
- How can we more effectively communicate to the world that they need Jesus as king?