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Dear Heavenly Father, Praise I say with the crowd who praised you, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” The people welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem as their national king, but I welcome you into my heart as my spiritual king. I want you to rule and reign in my life as Master and Lord. May I always know “the things that make for peace” (Luke 19:42). Praise the Lord! Today in Your Word Today you told me about Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem. We call it the “triumphal entry” because of the crowd who praised Jesus as the Messiah. Yet Jesus wept when he saw the city, and his disciples did not understand that he had come, not to expel the Romans and establish his kingdom, but to die a cruel death on the cross. I felt challenged by the care Jesus took in fulfilling what Zechariah had prophesied about him almost 550 years before (Zech 9:9). He did not enter Jerusalem on a white horse with an army marching behind him, nor did he come in pomp and splendor. Instead, the righteous Savior came in gentleness and peace as Zechariah said, and he came to do his father’s will. His tears were not for himself, but for the city who did not see the day of its salvation. O Father, give me the heart of Jesus, a heart that is consumed by a desire to live as you have said and do as you command! When the Gentiles asked to see Jesus later that day, Jesus said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” He knew that like a kernel of wheat, he must die if his life and mission were to be fulfilled. The same is true for me. If I am to “bear much fruit” for the Kingdom, I must die to myself and my old way of living. Being a disciple of Jesus means rejecting the desires of the flesh and yielding each moment to the desires of the Spirit. If Jesus could say ‘Yes’ to a horrible death on the cross, how can I say ‘No’ when you call me to follow in his steps? Jesus told his disciples to “believe in the light, that you may become sons of light” (John 12:36). This teaches me that you want me to be a disciple of the light. My life is to be a light to the world, and when I shine brightly for you, others will see the true Light through me. Reflection The people excitedly welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, but they were looking for national deliverance, not spiritual salvation. So often people want you to change their circumstances when what you really want is to change their hearts. Request Father, help me to hear your words and keep them. Help me to welcome your truth and live it. Help me to love the glory that comes from you more than the glory that comes from man. May I always walk in the light, as you are in the light, and have fellowship with you and your children (1 John 1:7). Thanksgiving Thank you for the grace that has been shed abroad in my heart. I’m grateful to be able to see and understand and turn to you for healing, unlike the Jews of Jesus’ day who hardened their heart (cf. Isa 6:10). All praise and thanksgiving be to you, the God who sends light into a darkened world! In Jesus’ name, Amen. Suggested Hymn: “Praise Him! Praise Him!” – Frances J. Crosby. Meditation Verse: John 12:36. |