In this issue: Palm Sunday Matthew 21:1. As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 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. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” Jesus offered himself to be king a week before he was killed. Christians call that day, Palm Sunday. However, naming it as such diminishes the meaning of his offering. It was a very important event because Jesus was offering himself as king. For the bride and groom, the most important day is their wedding day. Likewise, the inauguration day is the most important day for a person who will step in as the new president. Therefore, the day when Jesus would have been anointed as king should have been regarded as a very important day. Sadly, Christians simply are just calling it Palm Sunday. 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” The prophet Zechariah foretold roughly four hundred years in advance that the Lord Jesus would ride on a donkey and a colt, "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9) Notice that prophet Zechariah called Jesus, King? Jesus rode on the donkey in fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy to be anointed as king. 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. Traditionally kings of Judah were anointed outside of Jerusalem before entering into the city and marching on the street of Jerusalem. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Multitude warmly welcomed Jesus by spreading their clothes on the street. Those who did not have clothes to spread also cut branches and spread them on the street. It is a bit like giving red carpet treatment to visiting foreign dignitaries nowadays. 9 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!” Why did the crowds that went ahead say that he was the son of David? In reality, Jesus and King David were about 1000 years apart. David was the king of Judah. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David, but grew up in Nazareth. “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael was skeptical about Jesus (John 1:46). And the people of Nazareth said, “Isn't he a carpenter? Is he not the son of Mary? Isn't he the brother of Jacob Joseph Judah and Simon? His sisters are also close to us, aren't they? "(Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3). By referring to him as the son of David, the people were admitting that he was the offspring of King David and thus the rightful imminent king. In addition, they were admitting that Jesus did not come on his own accord but by the authority of God. The word Hosanna means God's salvation. Those people accepted Jesus as he was: the king who came by the authority of God. 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The people of Jerusalem did not know Jesus. Therefore, they asked who this person was. Why did they not know? When Jesus was born, the wise men from the East asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him." Matthew 2:2-3) Why were they disturbed and alarmed? In fact, were they not expecting the king of Judah, the Messiah? The fact that they were troubled, along with Herod, when he was born showed that they did not accept him. Therefore, the Lord Jesus said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." (Matthew 23:3-39) No need to second guess how sad Jesus was. 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” The crowd recognized Jesus only as a prophet. It is true that Jesus was a prophet. But the position of prophet was simply too low for Jesus while in fact he was the one who commanded the prophets to prophesy. After all, Jesus was the one who created and have been using the prophets for his purposes. Muslims also accept Jesus as a prophet. In their eyes, Jesus is not God; not a savior; He did not die for sinners, they consider him to be a lesser prophet than Muhammad. How do you see Jesus? 12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” Why did the Lord Jesus expel the merchants from the temple in anger? It was because the temple was God's house and a place to pray. It was also a place to warmly welcome and anoint him as king. Instead, they were becoming robbers in the house of God. In what way did they rob? They were selling animals in the temple. They exchanged money. 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. When the Lord Jesus arrived at the temple, he was angry because he was not accepted and opposed by the religious leaders. Meanwhile, the blind and the crippled also were only interested in begging him to heal them. It's similar to parents who are being annoyed by their children whose only interest is to get what they want and coerce them into buying things for them. Are we becoming like these children also? Are we just praying for our wishes to be fulfilled without bothering to know what God's will really is for us? 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. The chief priests and scribes were the servants of God, so they were the first to welcome Jesus. But instead of welcoming their Lord, they opposed him. They also blamed those who welcome him. Christ had this to say about his apostles, " At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. (Matthew 11:25) Here, the little children does not mean children of young age. In this context, the priests and scribes are the ones with full of knowledge and wisdom, and the apostles are the little children. 16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?’” It has been said in the old covenant about accepting the Lord Jesus. "Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. 2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger." (Psalm 8:1-2) The religious leaders were not at all satisfied that Jesus was accepted as king by the common people whom they considered infants. Therefore, they asked Jesus if he heard what the children were saying. Jesus replied that he heard them while quoting from the book of Psalms. Have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your king today? If you accept him only with your lips, it is of no value. You need to accepted him into your life. Accepting into life means you must know his will; You must strive to know it too. Then you must live according to his will. You must do all the work that he asks of you. To do his will should be of utmost important thing in your life. Many Christians today accept Jesus by their lips but fail to listen to what he said. Therefore, Jesus said, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46) 17. And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night. Because anointing him as king proved to be unsuccessful, Jesus left Jerusalem and returned to the village of Bethany, where Lazarus and his sisters lived. What a sad sad story! The Death of Jesus The Passover Moses wrote about the Passover: "The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb[a] for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover. 12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” (Exodus 12:1-13) The Israelites celebrated the Passover as God had commanded through Moses. That night, “at midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.31 During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.” (Exodus 12:29-32). Thus God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. To be celebrated every year God commanded that the Passover be celebrated every year: “When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped.’” (Exodus 12:25-27) However, because the Israelites had abandoned the Lord and worshiped other gods, they celebrated the Passover after they settled in Israel only a few times. It was only celebrated extensively during the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah. The Passover was celebrated more extensively during the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah, with the people greately rejoicing of it as recorded 2 Chronicles chapter 30. The Bible also recorded that the Passover was held again during the reign of King Josiah. “Josiah celebrated the Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month.” (2 Chronicles 35:1, 17-19) The Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover at that time and observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 18 The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah, with the priests, the Levites and all Judah and Israel who were there with the people of Jerusalem. 19 This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign. (2 Chronicles 35:17-19) Exiles who return from Babylon The Jews had enough and repented of their sin during captivity in Babylon and became more zealous for God, so they celebrated it regularly every year from the time of their return from captivity until the time of Christ. To Babylon, "On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. 20 The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. 21 So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel." (Ezra 6:19-22) Jesus and the Passover Jesus also went to the Passover, "Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it." (Luke 2:41-43) "Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” 9 “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.10 He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.” 13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” 17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:7-20) Thus, the celebration of the Passover between Jesus and his disciples is known by Christians as the Last Supper. The truth is, when Jesus celebrated the Passover, He was pointing to himself as the one who would be slain as the Passover lamb. That is why Paul wrote, "Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." (1 Corinthians 5:7). Benefits of Passover By celebrating the Passover in Egypt, the Israelites were not only saved from the death of their firstborn sons, but they were also saved from the Egyptian yoke. However, the Israelites did not value it. When they returned from the Babylonian captivity, they celebrated the Passover every year, but because they did not understand its meaning of it, they fulfilled the Scripture by killing the very Passover Lamb, Jesus. Today, Christians also accept and preach the death of Christ and worship Him, but because they do not understand the meaning of the death and do not think deeply about it, they are like a ritual and do not receive any benefit. Through the death of Christ the Passover Lamb, we are not only saved from the judgment of God (John 3:18), but are also set free from the slavery of Satan, and the yoke of sin (Romans 6:17, 22; Hebrews 2:14-15). Resurrection People are basically afraid of dying. They work because they are afraid of dying. When they are sick, they go to the hospital. They try to live as long as they could, even if it costs a lot of money. Therefore, coming back alive after death to live forever should be something very interesting and should be understood properly. The body lives 70 years Every living being wants to live, not die. Therefore, we struggle and work hard to survive. However, as humans, we value our physical life and do not value or care about our spiritual life at all. Our physical life is short, and we will only live for about 100 years at most. Moses said, “The length of our days is seventy years; if by reason of strength we are eighty years, yet our pride is but weariness and sorrow. They are quickly gone, and we are consumed.” (Psalm 90:10) As for young people, however, because they are still healthy and strong, they do not understand, listen, and care about this. Even the elderlies do not understand. No matter how old they are, or how sick they are, they only want and care about the longevity of their physical bodies. The body is dust God says through the psalmist about the life of the human body: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 15 The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.” (Psalm 103:13-16) The Creator of the body said that the body is but dust, and is as worthless as grass. Furthermore, He said that human life is as fleeting as a flower that blooms for a moment, and when the wind blows, it is blown away and perishes. The Life of the Body is Grass God also had Isaiah write this: “A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass.” (Isaiah 40:6-7) The life of a physical body is like grass, and success and fame fade away like a flower. Glory fades before the body dies. However, everyone is focused on the life of the body and the glory of the body, so they do not pay attention to what God says. God knows the body and the spirit that He created, so He used the prophets to warn the people. Spiritual Life The spiritual life is more valuable than physical life. The Lord Jesus said, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will he give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Most Christians know this verse and have it memorized. However, because they do not think deeply about it, they still value physical life more than spiritual life, and they strive to gain and maintain only these worldly possessions. A person’s spiritual life is more valuable than the universe. To those who do not understand this, "Jesus said, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, even though he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.'" (John 11:25-26) Since everyone lives physically, they do not care about the spiritual life that Jesus spoke of. Even though he spoke about his death and resurrection, they do not care, but instead celebrate the resurrection day as a festival. Therefore, on the resurrection day, they are more concerned about physical food than spiritual life. How ignorant can man be! Only when God opens their spiritual eyes would they see and value it. When Christ said, "I am the life" (John 14:6), he wanted spiritual life. He said, "I am the life; whoever believes in me, even though he dies, will live." And whoever believes in me and lives will never die. When he says, "Whoever believes in me will live forever," he is talking about spiritual life. People do not want that life because they do not know (internalize) it like a child. If they knew, there would be no one who would not want it. Those who know the life that Christ gave, no longer attach importance to physical life. They only want that life. That life also does not have to be bought, it is given freely. Christ died first to prove that he is life. But because they do not understand, they do not know how to take it. It is very sad, painful, and wasteful. Now, instead of eating and drinking, singing and 'enjoying' the sermons at the resurrection feast, let us examine carefully whether we have the life that he has given. If we do not have it, let us take it. John said, "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; but he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 5:11-12) So you need to receive the Son. How can you receive it? Jesus said, "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20) He is knocking at the door of your heart. If you open it, He will come in. How can you open it? Pray this prayer and ask Him to come in. "Lord Jesus, I believe that You are my life. I believe that Your blood has washed my sins away. I open the door of my heart. Come in. Rule my life as You will. Amen." If you truly pray and ask Him, He will come in and you will have eternal life. How do you know that He is a God who does what He says? He does not say He will come and then not show up. You must believe what He says. So thank Him like this. "Lord Jesus, I thank You that You have come into my heart and given me eternal life. Amen." You cannot approach God with your physical and mental feelings. You can only approach Him by believing His Word. "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6). So do not approach God by signs, by dreams, or by feelings, but approach Him by faith in His Word, the Bible.
