Easter Week Devotional #1

Sunday, April 10

Zechariah 9:9

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Luke 19:28-42

The Triumphal Entry

28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

The Unexpected King Has Come

by Roseanne McGough

Have you ever been told something exciting about your future? Did you spend moments daydreaming about what that moment would be like? And it’s only later you realize it came about in an unexpected way? …Or maybe you STILL haven’t seen that thing come about? This feeling is similar to one that the Jews had been feeling for hundreds of years.

To give you some perspective, Israel had been without a king for 100 years when the prophet Zechariah spoke of a coming king (Zechariah 9:9). And yet, another 500 YEARS would pass before this scripture would be fulfilled as we just read in Luke 19:28-42. During that wait, Israel endured the oppression of foreign kings. Generations of family lines would live and die without ever seeing the fulfillment. There was plenty of time to build stories in their minds about what a future king might look like. There was lots of time to talk about the “good old days” of King David and the might of his earthly kingdom. With Rome as their ruler during the time of Jesus, there were many who believed the King of the Jews would show up in mighty military power.

God’s plan to liberate His people extended so much further than the best of their daydreaming. He did intend for liberation from tyranny–but from sin itself. Jesus riding on a colt is not like riding in on a war horse. He came humbly, and in peace, ready for the sacrifice that was required of him. It must’ve been so exciting listening to people in the streets shouting, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” The Jews must’ve thought, “This is it, what we’ve been waiting for! We will soon be free!” As Jesus passed through the streets, the Pharisees must’ve felt so threatened. The Romans must’ve been watching and plotting schemes for the political change they were witnessing. It’s not surprising that so many missed Jesus as the Messiah. It confounds even many today.

In fact, Jesus is the true king. This king brought righteousness. This king brought his gift of salvation. This king is humble. So as a believer, rejoice! Your king has come to you! Deliverance has come for you in the most unexpected form. Because he went to the cross, a tyrannical reign of sin over your soul is over! Rejoice, Believer. Your captivity has ended, speaking peace to you through the blood of his covenant.

God, keep my heart ever soft and my ears open to Your voice. Give me eyes to see the way You see things. May my plans align with Your plans; and may I be open to Your ideas. Help me rejoice in this journey of faith with You while walking on the earth and help me never feel alone. Thank you for Your goodness and salvation. Thank you for being the king of my heart.