Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
This verse is found in a story that is usually subtitled in your Bible as the Triumphal Entry. It's when Jesus begins making His way to the cross. As you read this verse and the surrounding passages, you'll see that there is a stir happening. It actually says right before this that as Jesus begins making His way into the town, people are throwing their cloaks and jackets on the ground and breaking off palm branches—waving them, throwing them on the ground—to make a path for Jesus to enter the city and be celebrated. As He's doing so, the crowd is losing their minds.
The Prophecy Fulfilled
I want you to get this image in your brain, because it's really important for us to understand what's happening in this moment. There are people who know what Jesus has done up to this point, and they also know there was a prophecy way back in the book of Zechariah that talked about how the one who would come as Messiah would come riding on the back of a little donkey. Here comes Jesus into the city, fulfilling all of the expectations that the people had. There is a fervor—people are losing their minds. But what's also interesting is that while people are throwing down their jackets and shouting out the words we just read—"Praise God for the Son of David, this is the Messiah, this is the one who was promised from God"—it goes on to say that there are other people surrounding them, seeing the crowd form, seeing people get so wild in celebration and worship, seeing people take off their jackets and throw them on the ground so that this person can walk on top of them, and they're going, who even is this?
Two Kinds of People in the Crowd
It's interesting—you've got some people who are very aware of what Jesus represents for their lives. Salvation. The Rescuer has come. The One who has power and authority given to Him by God. Yet there are also people right there in their midst going, I don't know about this Jesus. What's all the stir about? What's the big fuss? They see the crowd, they're drawn in, they're hearing the worship being offered, and they're wondering—who is this? I love this image, and I want to stop there for a moment. Because if you've read the Bible, you know how this story ends. Pause there. Consider the fact that there were people lining the streets worshiping Jesus with no reservation—completely abandoned in their fervor, throwing down jackets, raising their hands, palm branches broken and waved in celebration of Christ. The response from the watching world was, who is this that you're worshiping?
Is That What's Coming from Our Lives?
I want to ask the question: is that what's coming from our lives as we look to Jesus? Are we so focused on Him—the one with the power and authority to overtake this world with love and His glory, to save us from the penalty of sin and death—that as we worship Him, there is a watching world that would look to us and say, I want to know about this Jesus that you worship? This week, let's fix our eyes on Him and what it means to know Him—the rescue that comes from knowing Jesus. As we worship Him, let's be aware: are there people filled with curiosity who want to say, I want to know this Jesus who you worship? Will you share about Him? Let's pay attention.
