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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.Eph 2:9 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Monday, July 4, 2022
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Hosanna to the Son of David Bible Verse:Matthew 21:6-11 (ESV) "The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them [i.e. the cloaks]. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” " Message:
Jesus fulfilled many specific messianic prophecies, but most often we do not see him doing it intentionally. Here, though, he goes out of his way to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah, “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey . . . colt.” (Zechariah 9:9) Moreover, Jesus is making a Big Entrance. Where he has usually sought to avoid crowds, now he embraces them. Riding a donkey colt is theatrical; it is an intentional show, and halfway a parody of the triumphal march of a Roman victor.
E
ven closer, Christ mimics the triumphal march of Simon Maccabeus, the brother of the great Judah Maccabeus, into Gaza. The specific of the palm branches laid in his path were not lost on the early Jewish Christians, and should not be lost on us. Around 175 B.C. Jerusalem had fallen to the Syrian Seleucid king, Antiochus Epiphanes, and he had been determined to stamp out Judaism. He set a statue of Zeus on the Temple’s altar and turned its rooms into a brothel. (The Seleucids were one of the divisions of the empire of Alexander the Great, after his death.)
The Maccabees reconquered Jerusalem and much of Canaan. The Sadducees were actually the inheritors of the Maccabean revolution; they believed that the “Messiah” predicted by the prophets was an ongoing process, begun by the Maccabees, that would cast out foreigners and re-establish the most ancient interpretation of Mosaic Law. So it was they who most fervently anticipated a messianic entry into Jerusalem, by a Jew riding a charger at the head of a victorious army, coming to cleanse the Temple.
Thus, Jesus riding a donkey colt is loaded with implications. Here is your conquering Warrior King, Israel: a scruffy and impoverished holy man, who preaches peace and sacrifice, not in shining armor, but the tunic of a working man — and riding a small donkey. Yes, he is coming to cleanse the Temple, but it is you, the religious leaders of Judaism, from which it will be cleansed!
The cries of “Hosanna” and “Hosanna in the highest” are often misunderstood. The word means hosanna means “save now.” It is more a plea than a joyful shout of celebration. It is somewhat similar to the British “God save the King,” with “the King” standing as the symbol of the nation. “Hosanna to the Son of David” thus asks Christ to save Israel, but implicit in it is a recognition (or hope) of His ability to do so and his right to lead. “Hosanna in the highest” asks the angels in heaven pray to God for the salvation of Israel.
Meditation : Prayer : The blessing of the Lord rest and remain upon all his people, in every land, of every tongue; the Lord meet in mercy all that seek him; the Lord comfort all who suffer and mourn; the Lord hasten his coming, and give us, his people, the blessing of peace......Amen |
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