Good morning. The Sunday before Jesus would share the Passover meal with His closest disciples, He approached the city of Jerusalem. He made His way toward the city gate in the midst of robust celebration: “This is the one who raised the dead!” “This is the one of whom we have heard so much!” “Could it be? Could this miracle worker truly be the Son of God, the Messiah?” “I think it could be true! It must be true! I want it to be true!” “Celebrate!”
When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke12:37-38
All of the gospels share the wonder of that moment of triumph as Christ Jesus entered Jerusalem. His followers were soon joined by hundreds more from within the city. They cried, they cheered, they celebrated.
Where were they five days later? Had the memory of His words, of His miracles, of His raising the dead to live again suddenly faded away? No, not at all. But such thoughts of celebration were replaced with other thoughts, those of fear. The enemy of Jesus, the same enemy who has plagued mankind from the perfection of the garden to the troubles of today, that enemy worked to replace joy with fear.
What of Jesus? What was He feeling on the day of His triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem? When the Pharisees ordered that He stop the shouts of adoration and praise he responded: “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 12:40 As we continue reading in Luke, the next words of Jesus are these: As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”
Jesus knew the truth of what would soon happen within that city. Jesus knew that those who were celebrating Him on Sunday would be hiding in fear on Friday. Jesus knew that His triumph wasn’t going to be recognized as He sat upon the colt of a donkey. His triumph could only be understood after the resurrection, but before then…there would be the cross. Jesus knew all of that, and He entered the city for us all.
Celebrate the coming of the King of Kings today. Let the triumphal entry not merely be at a city’s gate, let it be in the heart of every believer. Do not let the enemy ruin your celebration and do not let him cloud your mind with fear.
Celebrate! It is the perfect day for Him to come to you.
Vern