Matthew 21:1-11
Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, the day when we remember the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This event was a clear declaration by Jesus that He was the Messiah. Rather than entering the city on foot, as he usually did, He rode a young donkey in fulfilment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. This was a royal procession and the people in the city recognised it as such.
There was a great crowd in Jerusalem that day because people had come from all over Israel to celebrate the Passover festival and, as Jesus rode into the city, many of them laid clothes on the road and waved palm branches in recognition of His Kingship. Both their use of the title “Son of David” and their shout of praise, which referenced Psalm 118, show that the Jewish people were acknowledging Jesus as their Messiah. There was great excitement and jubilation: “All the city was moved” (v.10). Yet, just a few days later, crowds of people in that very city were calling for His death (Matthew 27:20-26). What changed?
The problem was that Jesus did not turn out to be the sort of Messiah that people expected. The crowd’s excitement when Jesus rode into the city had much to do with the fact that they expected Him to rise up at any moment and lead a rebellion against the hated Roman oppressors. They were looking for Him to make Israel great again as it had been in the days of King David. But Jesus had not come to establish an earthly kingdom but a spiritual one. His mission was not to gain a victory over the Romans but to defeat the powers of darkness; to rescue people from Satan, sin and death. His plan was far bigger and better than their ideas but, because their expectations were not met, the crowd turned against Him.
Many of us have experienced times when our expectations of God have not been realised. Many Christians carry disappointment because their prayers have not been answered in the way that they hoped for. Some are angry at God because He has not done what they thought He should. Instead of looking at ourselves and asking if our expectations are out of line, we can be quick to assume that the Lord does not care about our troubles. The truth is that our thoughts fall far short of God’s.
Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. [9] “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Let us settle in our hearts today that He is always working for our good, even when things look different from what we thought. When He does not gratify our desires, let us ask Him to show us what His will and purpose is and humble ourselves to do things His way rather than ours.
Prayer
Lord God,
I recognise that Your plans and purposes are much bigger and better than my natural understanding and expectations. Help me not to limit what You can do in my life by my small thinking. Open my eyes, I pray, to see what You are wanting to do in me and those around me, so that I can partner with You in bringing Your kingdom to the earth.
Amen.
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