Monday, April 14, 2014

The first Palm Sunday

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
  Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
  He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
  A colt, the foal of a donkey."

So prophesied Zechariah (in Zech 9:9).

On the first Palm Sunday, as Jesus and His disciples came to the Mount of Olives on their way to Jerusalem, Jesus sent two of His disciples into a village nearby to bring a young donkey they would find tethered there. He said "If anyone asks you 'Why are you loosing him?' say 'Because the Lord has need of him.'"

They found the donkey. As they were loosing him, the owners asked "Why are you loosing the colt?" They said "Because the Lord has need of him," and they let them go. They put their clothes on the colt, and sat Jesus on it. So Jesus fulfilled the prophecy.

A great multitude who had come to Jerusalem for the passover feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, spread their garments on the road. Others cut down branches from trees and spread them on the road. They cried "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! The King of Israel!"

The disciples were no doubt pleased to hear Jesus exalted as Messiah. But when Jesus saw Jerusalem, He wept. He knew that the leaders of Israel had already rejected Him, and He was aware of the terrible things that would happen to Jerusalem as a result.

In the next few days he was going to do something wonderful. Something that had never happened before. Something that they did not yet understand. . .  
 

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