Hosanna in the highest!

   Soon we will celebrate  Palm Sunday, the beginning of the last week in Jesus human life on earth, the earth He had help create. “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”(John 1:3) Let us look at what the Apostle Matthew said about what happened on this special day in history:

  “Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,  ‘Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” (Matthew 21:1-3)

   “All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying: ‘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 21:4,5)

  The Apostle Matthew was quoting the Scripture found in Zechariah 9:9 where the prophet spoke of the coming Messiah, hundreds of years before the coming of Christ.

     “So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: 

     “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!’ (Matthew 21:6-9)

     What an exciting scene is painted for us by Matthew! We can picture the palm branches being waved and the people throwing their cloaks on the ground as Jesus descends the path down from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem.  (Can you remember a time in your youth, as I can, when your church had palm branches and celebrated Palm Sunday by waving them and singing praises to the King of kings and Lord of lords?) 

    However not everyone was rejoicing. Luke in his gospel tells us that:

    “And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, ‘I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.’” (Luke 19:39-40)

  Are you rejoicing today? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to fill you and to show your thankfulness to the God who made you in His image? Or are you burdened by the cares of life and have allowed them to overcome you? Today is a day to remember that Jesus is the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and He deserves to be worshiped and obeyed. Did you notice what Matthew said Jesus disciples did in Matthew 21:6? Read it again: “So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.”

    That is what we who call ourselves disciples are required to do. We are to do all that He has commanded us! Let us celebrate this day by showing our love for Him and our desire to show gratitude for our wonderful salvation by being obedient, and to pray for the lost this week and to pray for many to come to our Easter service and to come to know the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

PRAY

1.     Lord, fill me with Your Spirit today! Bring to my mind the people in my family, my neighborhood, work, school, church, who need to be saved or just need to be in church this Easter so that they can hear of Your love and sacrifice for them.

2.     Lord I pray that you will keep me faithful throughout this week to spend time with you in Your Scriptures and in prayer for those you place on my heart.

3.     Lord, thank you that I can have a small part in building Your kingdom by praying for the lost and those who are going through tough times.