Mark 11:8-10 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!”
As Jesus enters the city on the colt miraculously provided for him, another Old Testament prophecy is fulfilled as the people lining the road praise Jesus: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Psalm 118:26-29) Throughout Jesus' ministry, the Lord made sure that no one could deny Jesus was the One they awaited for so long, the One who truly came in the name of the LORD. He was the holy and anointed Son of God who would stand in the temple and declare that He had come to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19) Indeed, He was worthy on that day of days of the cries of "Hosanna!" But too soon the same people who gave him praise would turn upon him as an angry mob, demanding his death, forgetting their blessing of the King of Kings. But on this journey into Jerusalem, God gave the people a sign, a triumphal entry into the city, saying, "This is my Son, honor and bless him. Give him the glory due the Messiah." Picture yourself standing by the roadside, crying out blessing and praising, placing a branch you had cut in the field before him, shouting, "Blessed be the name of the Lord." Would you have seen the glory of God in him? Would you have sought the coming kingdom of your father in heaven?
Sometimes it is easy for us as believers to read the Bible accounts, looking back at the events of history without placing ourselves in the difficult situations described in the Bible. It was not easy to survive in the world that the gospel writers describe to us. The Jews were a captive people under Roman rule. They had lived for many years, looking for a deliverer, One who would free them from oppression and bring in a new kingdom ON THIS EARTH. They were not so much yearning for the spiritual release described by Isaiah where a Savior would come who would carry their sorrows and be led to the slaughter like a sheep where He would be poured out to death for the sin of many, making intercession for the transgressors. (See Isaiah, chapter 53) No, this was not their desire. They looked for a strong leader to defeat their enemies, regain their political status, and make them a powerful country. This Jesus who came to save sinners was a disappointment to people who did not want to deal with their sins but wanted to deal with their enemies. They needed eyes of faith to see what God had provided for them. How like mankind in general their faithless response was. We often do not want to line up with God's will for our lives. God has a great eternal plan that is perfect for each person who chooses to follow him, yet we are caught up with small, worldly issues that that have no lasting value. Jesus was concerned about freeing captives and giving sight to blind people, but his own did not receive him. Speaking of Jesus, John writes, He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (John 1:10-11) The people were prisoners to their selfish desires and blind to God's miraculous power.
Every one of us must beware of spiritual blindness. We might think we are seeing clearly when our sight is actually skewed towards the world. The things of this world glitter and attract us, leading us astray. Paul describes the temptations of the world that cause people to stumble, and he warns the church, So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12) We cannot rely upon our own strength or think because we have been strong so far, we have got it made. We must depend upon the Lord and trust in the resurrection power of the risen Lord. As we fellowship with him, study his Word, and sing praises to him, we will grow in grace and the knowledge of his purposes for our lives, and He will strengthen us from within with his mighty power. John talks about loving God and obeying him. When we really love the Lord, our obedience comes from our heart of love and our faith, not because we are following some law. The people who put the branches before Jesus that day and cried out, "Hosanna," did not have the inner change that was needed so they could become his disciples, his followers. To follow Jesus, one must believe in him, have faith in who He is and what He stands for in this dark world. He is the Light in the darkness where we sometimes stumble without a purpose. But when we find Christ, we find a reason for living, freedom from sin, and a new life. John writes: This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:4-5) With a new life in Christ, we are rooted and grounded in him, no longer tossed about by the enemy of our souls, no longer fearful of death and eternity. We now look forward to serving God in this life and spending eternity with him. Before He left this earth, Jesus told his disciples, I am going there to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2) Although we all look forward to that blessed day, we have the opportunity to work for him now, to bless others in his name, to serve. May your day be filled with opportunities to give forth the love of the Lord!
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