In this article, we look at the third implication of what it means to be a member of God’s big family.
Previously, we talked about two levels of significance that come with why God, the Father, had to let His Son, Jesus Christ, die for us:
You can review our previous reflections by clicking on each of the titles above.
The Story
We use Matthew 21:1-11 as the foundation for this article. So, make sure you read it first before looking at the lines below.
That way you get a better sense of what we study through this article.
You need to understand that Jesus lived here on earth in a very different context, and unlike the 21st century.
He was born in a Jewish family. Talking about the Jews, you need to keep in mind that they did not have our calendar as we know of it today. They used the Jewish calendar.
January is the first month on our calendar, and Nisan is on the Jewish calendar. And, it goes like from March to April, based on what we use today.
Now, read the following verses:
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” Matthew 21:1,2.
Jesus and the disciples are like 1 to about 2 miles away from Jerusalem. There, He asks the disciples to find Him a donkey.
Verses 4 through 5 tell us why Jesus wanted to ride on a donkey while entering Jerusalem,
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
The prophecy referred to in the above scripture is from Zechariah 9:9.
Also, you need to know that the day Jesus is entering Jerusalem on a donkey is on Nisan 14. That’s the beginning of the Passover celebration.
The Passover celebration is something the Israelites held first in Egypt the night before God set them free from 400-year slavery. It is a promise God had made earlier to Abraham, their founding father (Genesis 15:13).
You read about that story in Exodus 12.
Let’s go back to Matthew 21, and take now a look at verses 9 through 11,
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
The scripture above tells us how people were so glad to see Jesus enter Jerusalem. They waved branches, laid on the ground their cloaks, and proclaimed Jesus King and Lord of all.
However, in just a few days, the same people would shout different words regarding Jesus: “Crucify Him!”
Jesus, therefore, and on Palm Sunday, walked into Jerusalem, not like a human king or warrior. He entered Jerusalem as the Pascal Lamb!
The day we celebrate Palm Sunday (Christian calendar) corresponds with Nisan 9 (day 9 in the month of Nisan. And, according to the Jewish tradition, in the night going onto Nisan 10, people selected a pascal lamb.
Nisan is the first month on the Jewish calendar, based on Exodus 12:2,
This month shall be for you the head of months, the first of the months of the year.
So, Jesus is coming into Jerusalem as the lamb to be sacrificed for the Jews, and the rest of all humankind, including you and me.
Of course, God had everything under control. Jesus, the Son of God, had already surrendered His life to God for the sake of you and me, and all the other humans.
Later, Jesus would say in His prayers as He struggles with what is to come, and the weight of human sins He had to bear,
My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done. Matthew 26:39.
On Palm Sunday, not only, we, therefore, celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry. We also celebrate the fact that God has made us God’s witnesses for three reasons I describe in the following lines.
We know the story and believe it
Unlike the crowd, we are the people who know the story and choose to believe it.
If you go back to Matthew 21, and in verses 9 through 11, you see that the crowd showed so much joy as Jesus rode on the donkey fulfilling the Old Testament’s prophecies in our current Bible.
Most of these people would deny Jesus as the King and Lord just a few days after they had welcomed Him into the city as King and Lord.
But, we, as Christians, choose to believe in Him, no matter what!
Paul puts it this way,
Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Romans 10:17.
Of course, not everyone in Jerusalem had seen Jesus before Nisan 9. Some might have heard the story about Christ, just like you and I today, which sometimes makes it harder to believe.
Even those who had seen Jesus raise Lazarus, heal the sick, make the blind see, etc., still didn’t believe though.
So, for us, it is not seeing that makes us believers. We choose every day to make God’s story ours. We choose to believe the story and use it as the foundation for who we are, and what we do.
We lay our lives down at the feet of Jesus Christ
As God’s witnesses, we lay our lives down at the feet of Jesus Christ. Nisan 9 or Palm Sunday is a reminder that we have to surrender to God.
We don’t just go with the flow because of the crowd. Or, shall we do what we do because it is the way we do it.
No, unlike the crowd, when we put our cloaks and branches on the floor, it means that we offer ourselves back again to God through Christ.
We acknowledge Christ as Lord and King over our lives
After surrendering ourselves to God, we acknowledge Christ as Lord and King over us.
That’s the last step, which makes us God’s witnesses. It’s also the toughest.
Since the beginning, humans struggle with making God as King and Lord over their lives. It’s so apart of our corrupted human nature. Sin has programmed us for that.
On our own, we will always break God’s commandments. We will always be unable to obey God and God’s Word.
That’s why Jesus came to us. It’s the primary reason why He chose to die. He took all our sins on Himself and nailed them on the cross (Colossians 2:14).
Bringing it together
On Good Friday, Jesus Christ, the true Paschal Lamb is sacrificed. He chose the path leading to death and destruction, which was was ours because of our sins. He has gone where you and I can’t go. He has pleaded with the Father on your behalf and mine. His death has given us access to our Heavenly Father and has made us God’s witnesses as a result of our faith in Jesus, our Lord, Savior, and King.
