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They were disappointed. Jesus, coming to Jerusalem on a donkey, even allowed himself to be flogged and abused, then crucified!
What kind of an all-powerful Savior would allow such travesty and insult?
But it was all part of a big all-encompassing love agenda! Jesus needed to do it.
John 3:16 -- For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Imagine the King of all Kings, the Lord of Lords, the all-powerful Creator, leaving His heavenly throne-room for us. Was He motivated by a puny throne-room or a palace made of gold?
Jesus is after just one throne-room: Your heart and mine! Ezekiel 36:26 -- "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart."
1 Corinthians 6:19a -- Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit...?
Our sinful nature, handed down by our first parents, has marked us F -- failed in our standing with God: Romans 3:10-12 -- As it is written, none is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.
So God the Father provided the only acceptable way -- Jesus who knew no sin. John 14:6 -- I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The great exchange: Heaven's Best shedding His blood on the cross -- that we may be saved from our sins, enjoy a full life here on earth, and spend eternity with Him in heaven. Lent is not just about a week of being holy, but a lifetime of committing our life to Him as our Savior and Lord.
Ephesians 2:8&9 -- For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith; and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Acts 16:31-Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved -- you and your household.
Jesus who knew no sin did it all for you! Romans 10:9 urges, "... if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Make this Holy Week your most memorable ever. Call on Jesus:
"Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for me and saving me. Forgive me for all my sins. I confess you now as my Savior and Lord. Help me walk according to your Word. Holy Spirit, teach me Your ways. In Your name I pray."
Palm Sunday always gives me a feeling of ambivalence: Happy that the welcoming committee hailed the Savior of all. But sad that days later, the same committee made a u-turn and sent the welcomed One to His death on the cross. May we never fall into the same pattern.
ReplyDeleteAmen! If we go careless for just a day, especially if we miss quiet and prayer time, we too become the U-turned committee. Really, none is righteous. It's only by His Spirit and the blood He shed on the cross that we can be made right. Grace, grace, grace!
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