Day 22 - Monday, November 2nd
LIFE Journal
This Week's Memory Verse
I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure. Psalm 16:8-9
Devotional
We know spiritual disciplines are going to be the vehicle driving us deeper and deeper into our faith journey with Jesus. But if there is one thing disciples of Christ know, that is learning followers, it is how often we must return to the greatest story ever told: the gospel. The fact that the living God, humbled himself taking on the form of man, lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died literally changes everything. For the rest of our time, we are going to walk through those final moments of Jesus’ days here on earth.
The time had come for Christ to start making his way to the ultimate fulfillment of his purpose and he had reached the place where a series of events would unfold, leading to the greatest hope the world would ever experience. Hundreds of prophecies had been fulfilled by Christ and would be fulfilled in these last few days as he walked the earth. And so, a triumphant entrance would set in to motion the final seven days of Jesus’ life.
Jesus gave his disciples exact instructions for what he needed to make his presence known as he approached Jerusalem. He asked for a borrowed donkey instead of a horse, which would have been better suited for a king ready to battle. Instead, Jesus entered in on this donkey colt, a symbol peace, and spontaneously, the people responded to his arrival in worship:
When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. Mark 11:7-11 NIV
Deliverance had come. Their rescuer had arrived. And the people had no other response but to shout Hosanna, which means save now. Yet over the course of the following days, we will see that those shouts of praise would quickly turn to cries to condemn. The people were anticipating this moment in which finally their defender would enter, but they had specific expectations of what exactly he would do to set them free and what he would free them from. Instead of riding in on a symbol of peace fighting once and for all the power of sin in their lives, they thought their redeemer would declare war against the earthly kingdom, Rome, that oppressed them. If there is anything we can learn from Palm Sunday and what it means for us as followers of Christ, it is that deliverance doesn't always look like we thought it would.
Maybe you are finding yourself in a place, waiting for Jesus to enter in so that you can experience the freedom you’ve been waiting for. Maybe you have some unspoken expectations in terms of how that deliverance is going to look: circumstances following a particular course, a clear cut sign of what He wants you to do next or something else. Sometimes, like the people who watched the Savior of the world ride in on a donkey, we are anticipating deliverance to come in a certain way, against a certain enemy. If there is something to take into this next week of reflection, it is that maybe you haven’t seen deliverance in a certain area of your life because you have forgotten what Christ came to conquer. Sure, Jesus can without a doubt change your circumstances with just a word spoken, but more often than not, He’d rather change your heart in the midst of them.
Deliverance may come in the form of the opposition against you here on earth being defeated, or it may come instead with Him destroying the things within your heart that set themselves up against Him, like your sin, your pride, or your self-reliance. No matter how Jesus plans to deliver you right now, let your response be shouts of hosanna for your King has arrived.
Think On This Verse:
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:11-14 NIV
Ask and Answer:
In what ways am I expecting deliverance to come right now? Is it possible that Jesus is going to redeem certain things in my life in a completely different way than I am anticipating? What might he be trying to break the chains of besides merely my circumstances? Is there a sin I struggle with? Do I have a tendency towards being prideful? Do I look to myself instead of him to save me? How can I praise him as he enters in to my circumstances as the king of my life?
The time had come for Christ to start making his way to the ultimate fulfillment of his purpose and he had reached the place where a series of events would unfold, leading to the greatest hope the world would ever experience. Hundreds of prophecies had been fulfilled by Christ and would be fulfilled in these last few days as he walked the earth. And so, a triumphant entrance would set in to motion the final seven days of Jesus’ life.
Jesus gave his disciples exact instructions for what he needed to make his presence known as he approached Jerusalem. He asked for a borrowed donkey instead of a horse, which would have been better suited for a king ready to battle. Instead, Jesus entered in on this donkey colt, a symbol peace, and spontaneously, the people responded to his arrival in worship:
When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. Mark 11:7-11 NIV
Deliverance had come. Their rescuer had arrived. And the people had no other response but to shout Hosanna, which means save now. Yet over the course of the following days, we will see that those shouts of praise would quickly turn to cries to condemn. The people were anticipating this moment in which finally their defender would enter, but they had specific expectations of what exactly he would do to set them free and what he would free them from. Instead of riding in on a symbol of peace fighting once and for all the power of sin in their lives, they thought their redeemer would declare war against the earthly kingdom, Rome, that oppressed them. If there is anything we can learn from Palm Sunday and what it means for us as followers of Christ, it is that deliverance doesn't always look like we thought it would.
Maybe you are finding yourself in a place, waiting for Jesus to enter in so that you can experience the freedom you’ve been waiting for. Maybe you have some unspoken expectations in terms of how that deliverance is going to look: circumstances following a particular course, a clear cut sign of what He wants you to do next or something else. Sometimes, like the people who watched the Savior of the world ride in on a donkey, we are anticipating deliverance to come in a certain way, against a certain enemy. If there is something to take into this next week of reflection, it is that maybe you haven’t seen deliverance in a certain area of your life because you have forgotten what Christ came to conquer. Sure, Jesus can without a doubt change your circumstances with just a word spoken, but more often than not, He’d rather change your heart in the midst of them.
Deliverance may come in the form of the opposition against you here on earth being defeated, or it may come instead with Him destroying the things within your heart that set themselves up against Him, like your sin, your pride, or your self-reliance. No matter how Jesus plans to deliver you right now, let your response be shouts of hosanna for your King has arrived.
Think On This Verse:
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:11-14 NIV
Ask and Answer:
In what ways am I expecting deliverance to come right now? Is it possible that Jesus is going to redeem certain things in my life in a completely different way than I am anticipating? What might he be trying to break the chains of besides merely my circumstances? Is there a sin I struggle with? Do I have a tendency towards being prideful? Do I look to myself instead of him to save me? How can I praise him as he enters in to my circumstances as the king of my life?
Prayer
Jesus, you rode in on a symbol of peace when the people wanted war. You offered deliverance in a way that they never expected. Help me to not miss the ways in which you are seeking to set me free day in and day out. Show me how you are breaking the chains in my life, even when the circumstances do not change. Help me to shout praises as I reflect on how you’ve already declared me free from my own sin, pride and self-reliance. Amen.