#DailyDevotion Jesus, Our King Has Saved Us
When they were getting near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples. 2“Go into the village ahead of you,” He told them, “and just as you go into it, you’ll find a young donkey tied up that no one ever sat on. Untie it and bring it to Me. 3And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing that?’ say, “The Lord needs it, and He will promptly send it back here.’” 4They went and found the colt tied to the gate, outside in the street, and they started to untie it. “What are you doing, untying the colt?” some of the men standing there asked them. 6They answered them just as Jesus had told them, and the men let them go.7So they brought the colt to Jesus, put their garments on it, and He sat on it. 8Many spread their garments on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they cut in the fields. 9Those who went ahead and those who followed Him were shouting: “Our Savior! Blessed is He Who is coming in the Lord’s name! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Our Savior — in the highest heavens!”
In Zech. 9 it is written, 9 “Be very happy, people of Zion! Shout aloud, people of Jerusalem. You see, your King will come to you, He is righteous and victorious, poor, and riding on a donkey, on a young burro, the colt of a donkey.” Hence the scene of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. As it was written it had to be done. The image from Zechariah is interesting because he is both righteous and victorious and he is poor. Quite an image for Israel’s king. Yet there Jesus is. He is righteous. No one could but any blame on him. He is victorious. He had raised Lazarus from the dead, healed the sick, raised other dead, gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. He was on his way to conquer sin and death. As to his poverty, he did not have a place to lay his head.
This was a sign given to the people through the prophet. The people see it, recall it and believe it as Jesus enters Jerusalem. Then comes Psalm 118 to further fill out the details about what is happening and about to happen. The quoted text is, 25“O LORD, please save. Lord, please give us success. 26Blessed is He Who comes in the LORD’s name. We bless You in the LORD’s temple.” So the crows shout, “Hossana,” (save us). They are looking for the redemption of Israel. They cry out, “Blessed is He Who comes in the LORD’s name.” Indeed it is in the name of the LORD Jesus comes, teaches, heals, and eventually dies and rises again. Jesus did everything the Father had given him to do.
Why the Psalm has much that joyful and victorious it implies that there are some unpleasant things that must happen first. Verse 5“In my trouble I called on the LORD,” lets us know there will be trouble. Verse 13“You pushed hard to make me fall, but the LORD helped me,” again warns of opposition. Verse 22“The Stone the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone,” tells us he would be rejected. Yet despite the trouble and rejection he has to face, Psalm 118 reveals that Jesus would overcome it all. His Father would see to it that he achieves the success planned through him, the salvation of the world.
Almighty God and Father, you foretold the opposition to your Son and his victory over all his enemies for us. May you fill our mouths with shouts of hosanna as we receive Jesus as our LORD and our King. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.