SUNDAY March 24, 2024
Palm Sunday
“Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
Matthew 21:5
This is such a significant day in history––Palm Sunday, the day when Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem on April 6, 32 AD. It is remarkable, because 1900 years later, we are still celebrating the occasion. Palm Sunday begins the last week of Christ’s life, and many refer to it as Passion Week. Every step Jesus now takes will be toward the Cross.
Jesus had spent three and a half years ministering to people. Much time was spent in the region of Galilee. Even though thousands followed Him, in the end, very few believed in Him. He was hated by King Herod and by the elders in the Sanhedrin––the Pharisees and Sadducees.
As Jesus came to Jerusalem, humbly riding on a donkey, He was still very popular among the simple, humble people in the city who welcomed Him. They were in submission to the Messiah. This was an incredible moment in history, as the Word of God written in Zechariah 9:9 was fulfilled:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Imagine the people with palm branches, spreading their clothes at the feet of Jesus, while the religious leaders looked on with hatred toward Him: ...a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road (Matthew 21:8).
The stubborn rebellion of the religious elite shows us that too often religious people do not know the truth. They can be spiritually blind. They have a head knowledge, but not a heart experience. Only those who are born-again, having received Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, understand the truths found in the Scriptures.
Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship with God through Christ.
~Jerry B. Jenkins~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
