Cheering crowds running and laying their cloaks and palm fronds at the foot of His steed. Well, not a war horse, but on the colt of a Donkey. It is likely they thought they were seeing Messiah coming to claim His throne. Yet many of the jubilant voices in the procession would, days later, be shouting "Crucify" at what would be this same man, beaten and bloodied wreck that he was. You see, Jesus of Nazareth wasn't who they wanted Him to be. They desired a king who would return Israel to its rightful place, who would bring Rome to its knees, and restore the nation. He came to bring about God's Kingdom, which transcended all borders, nations and peoples. But first, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah needed to fulfill His role as the Lamb of God. How many of us approach Jesus for what we want Him to be, and not for who He is? How many of us shout with the crowd "Hosanna" but, at best, run and hide when the Master is beset by enemies, or, at worst, shout "Crucify" when the King of Kings does not conform to our image of Him? Jesus is not for our causes, our comfort, or our communities. He's for the Kingdom, not built by human hands, but laid before the foundation of the world. The invitation to Christ is "come follow me," even to the Cross; it is an invitation to come and die so that this world has no hold on us. We can't build our Kingdom here; this world is not our home. We're strangers and pilgrims seeking the King and the Kingdom. Luke 9:18-27 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
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