Protestors vs. Pursuers
Protestors – Part 2
Scripture Reading: Matthew 21:6-11
Key Verse: Matthew 21:9
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”
I ended yesterday’s devotional by reminding us that the kingdom of God is about spiritual redemption, not social reform. It should be noted that after spiritual redemption has happened in a person’s life, social reform often becomes a value. God does want us to love the under-resourced and seek justice for all people. However, we must keep our priorities aligned with God’s; everything starts with a changed heart!
What we call Palm Sunday is a reminder of the fickle crowd that was there to protest Rome, and it all ended with the crucifixion of Jesus. It wasn’t wrong to want to be free from Rome. Their goal was fine, but their method was out of sync with God’s plan. Jesus was not there to overthrow the Roman occupation of Jerusalem. Jesus had come to overthrow the occupation of evil in the lives of all men and women!
Jesus deserved the songs being sung by the crowd: “Hosanna to the son of David, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the Highest!” Their words were right, but most of their hearts were misdirected. Let’s be careful that we are seeking Jesus for the right reasons. First and foremost, Jesus wants to fix your heart and make it ready for eternity!
Father, thank you for my redemption and salvation from sin. Jesus, I praise you for paying the price that I could not pay. In Jesus’ name, amen.