Palm Sunday - Triumphal Entry

The Direction of Love

I think that the world is still reeling from the effects of Covid although Uncle Cyril declared an end to the State of Emergency. Another world event which should have captured our attention is the Russia-Ukraine war which started on the 24th of February. The heads of states of these 2 Countries are President Vladymor Putin (Russia) and President Vladyimor Zelensky. The attacker is Russia. Russia is the stronger in terms of military resources so it would be a no-brainer that Russia would wipe out Ukraine in an instant…not so. Pres Zelensky is not scared of Putin…in fact he knows that he want to kill him but he makes no secret of where he is. He is a modern day super-hero. Over and over he says…I am not scared that is why I am standing to fight. Strange isnt it. When there is danger, we change course…give way Pres Zelensky. In the passage we just read....we find Jesus just after he raised Laz from the tomb and we find that the Pharisees wants to kills Paz because on account of him, many Jews are becoming followers of Jesus! So there is danger lurking for Jesus and in Matthew 16:21

Matthew 16:21 AMP

21 From that time forth Jesus began [clearly] to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and the high priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised from death.

Jesus undersatands that the very place he is going to is the place where he is going to be crucified. He is going to die here but he is still heading into that direction.

The DIRECTION Jesus goes into is important. Love is fearless.

Jesus’ journey, is our journey. Jesus is on the back of a donkey. Because Jesus is fore-knowing and forth-seeing....he can see the people who will betray him, who now shouts…HAIL HIM, HAIL HIM....he knows who will be shouting NAIL HIM, NAIL HIM but yet he continues going into Jerusalem. We understand that Jesus was fully God and fully MAN. We see this when we see him weep in John 11:35. We see this when we says that he is Thursday, when he ask God why did God forsake him! He had a choice to forsake this and turn away from Jerusalem…but he keopt going to his death to his crucifiction. Do we identify 1 Corinthians 15:31

1 Corinthians 15:31 The Message

31 I look death in the face practically every day I live. Do you think I’d do this if I wasn’t convinced of your resurrection and mine as guaranteed by the resurrected Messiah Jesus?

But here is a question we have to look deep into....why today they are shouting…HOSANNA…blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! Hail him Hail him....a few days later…NAIL HIM, NAIL HIM?? That is so quick isn’t it. The Bible explains this a bit later…John 12:18

John 12:18 AMP

18 It was for this reason that the crowd went out to meet Him, because they had heard that He had performed this sign (proof, miracle).

Why do people follow Christ is important. Matthew 15:18

Matthew 15:8 (LEB)

Matthew 15:8 AMP

8 These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me.

These people herd about Jesus and they looked at his miracles and were intrigued with his miracles but that was it. Two questions Jesus posed to his disciples which he poses to you as well…who do people say Jesus is? But the follow-up question…who do YOU say Jesus is? It is the people (John 12:17

John 12:17 LEB

17 So the crowd who was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify.

That stands the test of time, they were the ones at the cross, they were the ones in the upper-room, they were the one who stuck with him. Which part of the crowd are you?