As Jesus of Nazareth and his disciples were traveling on a hot, dusty dirt road on their way up to Jerusalem they stopped in the shade of a fig tree where Jesus began to speak to them. "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again."
The hot afternoon day sun was beating down upon them through the irregular shaped holes in the canopy of a fig tree. As the west wind gusted a fig leaf came loose and started swirling down to the ground. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, while being in the front row had not heard one word Jesus had said. You see they were busy wondering about themselves and not paying any attention to what their Master was attempting to teach them.
"Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask." said James and John abruptly. "What do you want Me to do for you?" Jesus replied.
Friends this story is from the gospel of Mark, chapter 10, verses 33-36 where Jesus takes time out of His day to rest and teach His disciples before entering Jerusalem on the very first "Palm Sunday". What is amazing to me is how the words of Jesus about His betrayal, ultimate capture, cruel treatment, unfair trial and execution went right over the apostle's heads. So often I believe in our own walks with Jesus we do the very same thing."Yea, OK Lord I heard You but listen to what I want You to do for me."
Jesus returns to His teaching by gently informing James and John that men have always lusted after power and recognition. He uses the moment as a spring board to teach the 12 about serving others and says to them "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."
Jesus came to this earth to be our servant-king. He became flesh by entering into time and dwelt among us. When the time was right Jesus began His last road trip to Jerusalem where He would fulfill His destiny as our "Passover Lamb". John the Baptist framed it like this "Behold The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
The disciples find a colt tied to a tree in the village behind them. Jesus sits on the colt as He makes His way into the City of David. The crowd responds by spreading their garments out on the ground and cutting tree limbs for the colt to walk upon. The voices of the crowd began shouting verses from psalm 118 "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
It was getting late in the day as the sun began to disappear behind the mountains surrounding Jerusalem. In the twilight Jesus surveyed the Temple Mount and then made His way back to Bethany with the other disciples. What a day this first "Palm Sunday" turned out to be, but in a way I wish the crowd had of kept silent as then all creation would have been treated to the world's first "Rock Concert" as the stones themselves would have cried out! Hosanna in the highest!
No comments:
Post a Comment