St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verse: 10, Jerusalem knew him not.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Triumphal entry into Jerusalem) Part 5. 

It was a time for celebration.  It was a time for joy and happiness.  It was a time for rejoicing for the Messiah had come to Jerusalem for the Passover.  Those who came from Judea knew him.  Those who came from Galilea knew him.  Those who came from Jordan knew him.  But the people who lived in Jerusalem did not.  They had not heard of him or the word that went forth before him to proclaim his deeds.

He had cured the sick, made the lame walk, opened the eyes of the blind, cured the lepers, taught in the fields, in the marketplace, in the synagogues and even raised the dead.  But those who lived in Jerusalem had not heard, did not know, sought him not.  They lived in the city.  They lived in the capitol, the heart of Judaism.  They were the privileged, the ones of rank and power, those who lived in palaces and wore fine garments.  They had not heard.  The word had not come to them.  And when Jesus came they were in wonder and bewilderment!   And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was thrown into commotion, saying, "Who is this?" 

They did not know.  They had not heard.  They were too busy with their own concerns of the day to bother with the local gossip of the common man.  Theirs were the concerns of the kingdom of Judaism.  To them he was just another ordinary man.  He had not come with trumpets, or fanfare announcing his arrival.  He had not come with a entourage with armed guards and a carriage on the shoulders of strong men.  To them he was a commoner that the local people praised and rejoiced over and they could not understand the commotion.

Christ has told us to beware of false prophets.  He has warned us that there will be many who will come in his name professing to be the Christ.  Do not follow the crowd down the long and wide path to destruction.  He told us to seek the narrow path that leads to life everlasting.  Seek the truth and you will find your way.  The path has been prepared for us.  He has set it before us, all we have to do is follow in his footsteps, follow in his light.  Yet many will go astray and follow the crowd.

Many did not know him when he came to Jerusalem.  But there were those who did know him and followed him even to the cross.  They did not know that this was foretold by the prophets.  They did not know that he would rise again and conquer death.  So their sorrow at his crucifixion and their loss at his death was replaced with joy and hope when he arose from the grave.  And all who knew of him and had heard the word came to his disciples to follow.  Can we follow today?  Can we believe the word that was written for us by the hand of God?  Can we hope for the promises that he made to us that he would not leave us as lost little children?  Can we believe, can we hope, can we trust in his words?  Seek those words and you will know yourself.  I have, and I know that he is real! 

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verse: 9, Hosannas from the crowds.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Triumphal entry into Jerusalem) Part 4. 

The word spread: "He's here, He's here."  And the people came out to meet him and to greet him and to see him.  They had heard the words spoken about him.  Many had seen him before and knew that he would come to the celebration.  Others who lived in Jerusalem did not know and had not heard the word.  But for those who came for the celebration, they knew.

The Messiah had come.  Christ came to the celebration and the people rejoiced.  And the crowds that went before him, and those that followed, kept crying out, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest!" 

They celebrated and they rejoiced because they knew that something good was about to happen.  They knew that where he was, miracles were happening.  They knew that where he was the sick were being cured, the lame were walking, the blind were seeing and the dead were being brought back to life.  They had heard the word of his deeds.  They knew that now all the injustices that they suffered at the hands of their rulers would come to an end.  The Messiah had arrived and they rejoiced over his coming.  Little did they know what his coming meant, the horror that they would see, and the sadness they would face over his loss.

Many today wish that the Messiah would come.  You see signs on every corner proclaiming his return.  Many suffer.  Many are downtrodden.  Many seek justice.  Many want peace.  Yet these things will not come.  Not today, not tomorrow, not until the word has been fulfilled will the Messiah come again.  And only the Father knows when that time will happen.

They rejoiced in Jerusalem when he came.  How much more will we rejoice when he comes.  But will we be ready for that time?  Will we ready prepared for the second coming of the Christ?  He promised he would return.  He promised that the injustice of the world would end.  He promised that vengeance would be exacted.  He promised that we would see him coming on a cloud.  He promised that he would gather all his children into his fold and the rest would be cast outside.  Do you believe in his promises?  Do you believe period?

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verse: 8, The humble and the lowly paid him homage .

Our paragraph topic is:  (Triumphal entry into Jerusalem) Part 3. 

They heard that he was coming.  And the word spread of his arrival.  They came to see, they came to hear, they came that they could be a part of his arrival.  They were simple folks.  They were poor, they were humble, they were the downtrodden and the suffering.  But they believed in him.  They had faith in him that he would change their world, change their suffering, change their pain into joy.  They believed.

So they came out to meet him.  They had no horns or drums to announce his coming.  They had no confetti to welcome him, but they had their cloaks.  And they found a way to honor him, a way to praise him, a way to give him the glory that he deserved.  And most of the crowd spread their cloaks upon the road, while others were cutting branches from trees, and strewing them on the road. 

This was their time to celebrate.  This was their time to rejoice.  This was their time to show to the world the coming of the Messiah and their belief in him.  They were not the governors, or the priests, or the men of power, or the merchants of the day.  These were the common folk, the people who had heard the word, the people who were poor and downtrodden, the everyday common people who were trying to eek out a living in those trying times.

And Christ came onto the scene.  He heals the sick and the word travels.  He cast out demons and the word goes forth.  He cures the lepers and open the eyes of the blind, and makes the lame walk, and forgives the sins of those who are sinners.  He raises the dead to demonstrate to those who believe that he is the Messiah, the Son of God.  And the word becomes wildfire and spreads throughout the land.  And now he comes to the annual celebration of the Passover and all want to see, all want to know, all want to be a part of the new beginning that he brings.

Only a hand full know what is about to happen.  Only the few have been warned of the sacrifice.  Only a few follow in horror of the greatest suffering that is about to take place for one so innocent and unblemished as Christ.  They did not know what was happening.  They did not understand why this was taking place.  They thought that he came to take over the kingdom, to be ruler of the world, to transform all the evil that was taking place.  They did not know or fully believe that he came to be the sacrifice, the propitiation for our sins.  They did not know that he would rise again, triumphant over death, never to die again.  They only knew that they could see what was in front of them and what they saw was horror.

Two thousand years later we know why he came.  It has been given to us to see the church that he created through the disciples.  It has been given to us to know of his sacrifice, of his suffering, of his pain, of his death, of his resurrection, and of his ascension into heaven to sit at the right hand of his Father.  We who believe know the why and the wherefore.  That has been given to us.  What we do not know is when he will return, when the words will be fulfilled.  Will you be ready?  Do you believe?  Do you know who you are in Christ?

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.