Devotion: Hope with Confidence

Jesus’s Triumphant Entry

As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives.  Jesus sent two of them on ahead.  Go into the village over there, he said.  “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”
This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said, “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you.  He is humble, riding on a donkey-riding on a donkey’s colt.'” The two disciples did as Jesus commanded.  They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.  Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David!  Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!  Praise God in highest heaven!”   The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered.  “Who is this?” they asked.  And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Matthew 21: 1-11

The Crucifixion

So they took Jesus away.  Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull [Golgotha].  There they nailed him to the cross.  Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them.  And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”  The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.  Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate,  “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews” to “‘He said, I am King of the Jews.'”  Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”  When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them.  They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from the top to bottom. So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.”  This fulfilled the Scripture that says,  “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.”  So that is what they did.  John 19:16b-24

Hoping for the Messiah

The Jewish people were waiting for a long-awaited Messiah.  They had great hope a national leader would soon come and liberate them from Roman rule.  They were expecting a military leader or king to fulfill the prophecies they’d been given.  As families came to Jerusalem to celebrate the great Passover festival, they remembered the Exodus from slavery in Egypt and how God had spared the children of Israel by “passing over” their homes-hence the name of the holiday. Everything about Jesus seemed to lead the Jewish people to the conclusion that he was to be their king and liberator.  All the actions Jesus took coincided with prophecies given in the Old Testament.

– In the previous weeks he had shown his authority and superiority over the Jewish leaders and their way of thinking.
– Mount Olives was designated in the Old Testament as the place of God’s revelation and final judgment.  So the location seemed prophetic.
– When Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt, he affirmed his messianic royalty and his humility.  People recognized the act of riding on the colt as one that fulfilled ancient prophecies.  Placing cloaks on the donkey and its path, implied majesty.  Kings were honored this way so their feet would not have to touch the dusty road.
– The olive branches waved in the air were used to welcome a national liberator and symbolized victory.  This was a day when Jesus was truly recognized as a king.  The crowds shouted “Long live the King!”

People were hoping for the Messiah they envisioned, but just a few days later, when he didn’t meet their expectation for a military victory, the crowds would cry, “Crucify him!”

Our Hope and Doubt

Are we hoping for the Messiah?  Do we expect that Jesus will swoop down and take all our troubles away?  Will he save us from our problems and the evil in the world today?  Or will we “crucify him” in our hearts through our sin, disbelief, and doubt in the power he possesses.  When we pray do we KNOW he will be there to help us or do we often NOT pray because the problems are SO BIG he couldn’t possibly help.  1 John 5: 14 says “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”

Let us have hope and confidence in our heavenly Father.  He is the hope for our lives and for the world.

Prayer

Dear Father in Heaven, You have made the ultimate sacrifice to send your powerful son into our dark and sinful world.  Have mercy upon us.  Strengthen us and help us to have no doubt that your power can overcome any problem.  May your loving will be done in our lives and in our world.  In your holy and precious name.  Amen.

This devotion is written by Julie Johnson.

If you would like to serve as a member of the Sheridan Lutheran Writing Team and help to write devotions based on the text for the weekend, contact Amy Wagner.

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