I still intend to complete the look at our need of, and to give, encouragement to one another, with a 3rd post regarding Paul as an example as an encourager, but…..
PALM SUNDAY THIS WEEK.
This week before resurrection Sunday I am reminded of Jesus and my need to know Him not only as savior and redeemer and Lamb of God, but as LORD, King, God, source of Life.
Let us note from the scriptures that large crowds were coming to see Him. And by their proclamation, “BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel”, it may be that they thought Him to be the Messiah. However, it’s also possible they may have just thought Him to be a prophet/teacher, a healer of some kind, because the text makes it clear that many came because they had heard the testimony of the risen Lazarus, and wanted to see Lazarus as well. In fact, enough attention was on Lazarus, the chief priest wanted him killed as well because many were believing in Jesus because of him. Either way Jesus was pointing forward to the power of life, resurrection life, being in Him. I must also say, it is possible that some, perhaps many, misunderstanding Who He was as Messiah Son of God, wanted to make a nationalistic or political king of Him.
[John 12:9-18 NASB95] 9 The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. 12 On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and [began] to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.” 14 Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 15 “FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY’S COLT.” 16 These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. 17 So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify [about Him.] 18 For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.
The sad commentary here is that it is often easy to look past Jesus as the Christ, Messiah, Son of God, the Redeemer and Savior. Easy to simply seek Him based on information about Him, and for what we think He can deliver to us only. And even more easy to fail to seek Him, to seek to know Him, personally and intimately as LORD! … and as the source of LIFE, and give Him the preeminence as God, and that is His in God’s eternal purpose.
You may not have realized it, but there is another palm waving celebration coming, and it comes out of those that have found Him as the center and giver of LIFE even in the midst of great tribulation…and recognize Him as Lamb on the throne, King and Lord/Shepherd.
[Revelation 7:9-17 NASB95] 9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and [all] tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches [were] in their hands;10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and [around] the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, [be] to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 “For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. 16 “They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; 17for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
I am not sure I understand the full importance of this in John’s Revelation of Jesus. But I do know that I do not want to seek Him from only that which I may know about Him or for what He can do or provide for me.
I desire to know Him and serve Him as Lamb (redeemer/savior) and LORD (King and God). He who alone can shepherd me intimately, guiding me to springs of water of life, even out of great challenge or suffering.
[Philippians 3:8-12 NASB95] 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from [the] Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which [comes] from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained [it] or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Very rich stuff here from Paul in the light of knowing Him as Lord, the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death to attain resurrection from death. And, after salvation and deliverance from death, pressing on to be completely given to His purpose in making me His.
Let us consider it as we celebrate His triumphant entry into the City of God, laying palm branches before Him and shouting “BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel”,
{Side Note the feast of booths implemented the cutting of branches for celebrating deliverance from Egypt/the world.
[Leviticus 23:40-43 NASB95] 40 ‘Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. 41 ‘You shall thus celebrate it [as] a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It [shall be] a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 ‘You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, 43 so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.'”
And the feast was restored as they returned from Babylon celebrating deliverance from captivity in Babylon/man made religion when they were rebuilding Jerusalem.
[Nehemiah 8:14-18 NASB95] 14 They found written in the law how the LORD had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month. 15 So they proclaimed and circulated a proclamation in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches and branches of [other] leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.” 16 So the people went out and brought [them] and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. 17 The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them. The sons of Israel had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And there was great rejoicing. 18 He read from the book of the law of God daily, from the first day to the last day. And they celebrated the feast seven days, and on the eighth day [there was] a solemn assembly according to the ordinance.
Palm branches also became a sign of Hebrew nationalistic pride according to historians and books (Maccabees) that indicate they were used in celebration at the rededication of the temple and celebrating independence, and are said to have been minted on some Judean coins as such. Chances are good that at the time of the Palm Sunday of Jesus entry, the people were seeing, and seeking, Jesus as more of a nationalistic and political entity type of deliverer, than as a spiritual Savior and Deliverer. Misunderstanding His the Kingship/Lordship}