Rejoice Greatly
“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
Zechariah 9:9-10/Matthew 21:5
Who is this Man, whose words reverberate down the years? Is He merely a man, a product of His time, whose words must be read through the medium of modernity? May we choose what we like from His message and ignore the rest? Or, by our choice do we reveal too much about ourselves?
It was Sunday. Jesus knew that His earthly ministry was drawing to a close. With His disciples, Jesus had travelled down from Galilee, from the old, familiar places of His childhood, into the cauldron that was Jerusalem. It was the Jewish Passover; hundreds of thousands of Jews had gathered from across the Roman Empire and beyond in order to be present at one of the highlights of the religious year. There, on Zion’s hill, they would remember the blood of the Passover lamb, sprinkled on the doorposts of the faithful, and the protection the blood offered against the coming of the angel of death.[1] It was a story every Jewish child could tell, a story of oppression, and deliverance, and freedom.
Having spent time in Bethany with Mary and Martha, and having demonstrated His power in the raising of Lazarus, Jesus came into Jerusalem. His reputation preceded Him. Crowds gathered. Young men stripped branches from palm trees and laid the fronds before His donkey’s feet.[2] Others took the cloaks from their backs and placed them before its careful hooves.[3] Seeing it, many must have been reminded of Zechariah’s prophesy, and seen in Jesus the coming of the long-awaited Messiah. “Hosanna,” they cried, “Save us now!”[4]
And yet… did they really understand? Even the disciples were caught up in the excitement of the day. How many people, seeing Jesus, imagined Him to be a political leader, come to unite the people and to drive the hated Romans out of Palestine? On the other hand, were there many who saw, in Him, Isaiah’s suffering servant, entering the time of His final sacrifice? Did they know that the conquering hero was riding to His death?
Lord Jesus,
You come in humility, riding on a donkey.
You show me, yet again, that the treasures of this world:
power and possessions and prestige, are only temporary.
But Your gift is eternal.
Yours is a Kingdom that will know no end.
I rejoice in Your coming,
yet weep for Your parting.
Amen.
“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
Zechariah 9:9-10/Matthew 21:5
Who is this Man, whose words reverberate down the years? Is He merely a man, a product of His time, whose words must be read through the medium of modernity? May we choose what we like from His message and ignore the rest? Or, by our choice do we reveal too much about ourselves?
It was Sunday. Jesus knew that His earthly ministry was drawing to a close. With His disciples, Jesus had travelled down from Galilee, from the old, familiar places of His childhood, into the cauldron that was Jerusalem. It was the Jewish Passover; hundreds of thousands of Jews had gathered from across the Roman Empire and beyond in order to be present at one of the highlights of the religious year. There, on Zion’s hill, they would remember the blood of the Passover lamb, sprinkled on the doorposts of the faithful, and the protection the blood offered against the coming of the angel of death.[1] It was a story every Jewish child could tell, a story of oppression, and deliverance, and freedom.
Having spent time in Bethany with Mary and Martha, and having demonstrated His power in the raising of Lazarus, Jesus came into Jerusalem. His reputation preceded Him. Crowds gathered. Young men stripped branches from palm trees and laid the fronds before His donkey’s feet.[2] Others took the cloaks from their backs and placed them before its careful hooves.[3] Seeing it, many must have been reminded of Zechariah’s prophesy, and seen in Jesus the coming of the long-awaited Messiah. “Hosanna,” they cried, “Save us now!”[4]
And yet… did they really understand? Even the disciples were caught up in the excitement of the day. How many people, seeing Jesus, imagined Him to be a political leader, come to unite the people and to drive the hated Romans out of Palestine? On the other hand, were there many who saw, in Him, Isaiah’s suffering servant, entering the time of His final sacrifice? Did they know that the conquering hero was riding to His death?
Lord Jesus,
You come in humility, riding on a donkey.
You show me, yet again, that the treasures of this world:
power and possessions and prestige, are only temporary.
But Your gift is eternal.
Yours is a Kingdom that will know no end.
I rejoice in Your coming,
yet weep for Your parting.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment