#DailyDevotion Jesus Has Come To Reign In Your Hearts
Matt. 21:1-9 When they came near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage and the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples. 2“Go into the village ahead of you,” He told them, “and right away you’ll find a donkey tied up and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me. 3If anyone says anything to you, say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and immediately he will send them.” 4This happened so that what was said through the prophet would come true: 5Tell the daughter of Zion, “Look! Your King is coming to you, gentle, riding on a donkey, even on a colt of a donkey.” 6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their garments on them; and Jesus sat on them. 8Most of the people spread their garments on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The people who went ahead of Him and followed Him were shouting: “Our Savior, the Son of David! Blessed is He Who is coming in the Lord’s name!
It was probably exciting enough to go to Jerusalem during the Passover festival. Because people came not only from all the areas formerly Israel, but from all over the world, Jews of the diaspora would return and they would have had to been gathering for weeks ahead of time. During this time they may have heard of Jesus of Nazareth. Indeed, just before Jesus makes it into Jerusalem, Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, having been dead four days. The news of Jesus’ action had stirred up hopes he indeed was the promised Messiah.
Now Jesus sets the stage of his entry into Jerusalem. He sends forth several of the disciples to get for him a donkey and her colt. Most people would be walking into Jerusalem for the feast. They would dismount any animals for the festival. Jesus is making a statement riding the donkey and the colt into Jerusalem. He is the promised King. He is fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah.
As Jesus enters into Jerusalem people met Jesus and laid their cloaks before him on the ground. Many gathered palm branches and strew his way with them. Such were acts of adoration and praise. The people surrounding Jesus were shouting, “Our Savior, the Son of David! Blessed is He Who is coming in the Lord’s name!” Yes, Jesus is their Savior and our Savior. But Jesus wasn’t coming to save them or us from the Romans. He was entering his city to save them and us from the god of this world, Satan, and from our sins and the wrath of God to come. Jesus indeed is the Son of David. He wasn’t entering Jerusalem to take up residence in the palace there and rule from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates river. He was entering Jerusalem to sit on the throne of our hearts and sit on the right of the Father ruling all creation. Jesus was coming in the LORD’s name to do the LORD’s work. As he cleansed the temple (which is only a model) of those who defiled it doing business where there should have been prayer, that was the beginning of Jesus cleansing our hearts which would be his temple and where he would meet us in prayer at the right hand of the Father. The people indeed were shouting the right stuff but they did not realize the full significance of their words. Thanks be to God we can join them today in the same song knowing full well the meaning and significance for us and the whole world. Jesus has come and brings pleasure eternal to all who would look to him for salvation.
Heavenly Father, so open our mouths that we may rightly praise your Son Jesus Christ as our Messiah, the Savior of the world, now and forevermore. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.