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Today’s Passage:
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Reflection
Thoughts from the passage
Picture the scene. A crowd of people joyfully celebrating as Jesus rides by. Children running along beside the donkey. Others in the area hearing the commotion and rushing to see what is happening, then joining the shout, recorded by Matthew, “Hosanna to the Son of David” (which is a reference to the Messiah). There is great excitement, enthusiasm and joy.
But in the midst of this Jesus stops as He comes in sight of the city and begins to weep with heart-wrenching sorrow. The majority of the nation, regardless of what they were saying at this moment, would not truly accept Jesus as their Saviour and Messiah, and Jesus grieved deeply, foretelling Jerusalem’s destruction, that would occur within a matter of decades. This was a day of great celebration but also of great sorrow.
Reflect
Palm Sunday is a day to celebrate. To celebrate that God sent His Son as our Messiah to save the world from sin. To remember with joy and gratitude the day our eyes were opened to see Jesus for who He truly is, and we acknowledged our need for a Saviour.
But today is also a day to pray for friends and family members who do not yet know Jesus. Do we feel deep sorrow for those who are lost, and does that grief move us to persevering prayer, and to sharing our faith?
D.L. Moody wrote a list in his Bible of 100 friends who didn’t know Jesus. He prayed daily for them until he died. Over the course of his life 96 of those friends became believers. The last 4 gave their lives to God at Moody’s funeral. Never give up praying for those who don’t yet know Jesus.
Response
Remember the day you turned to Jesus. (For some, that may even be today). Reflect on the details surrounding that encounter when you first committed your life to Him. Take a moment to acknowledge again that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah sent by the Father, and thank Him for saving you.
Jesus said to Paul on the Damascus road, “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:17b-18). Jesus wants to use you to help turn people from darkness to light. Whom is God laying on your heart to commit to pray for? Write their names in your journal or Bible and pray for them now.