Shout Hosanna! Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

“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.” –Zechariah 9:9 (ESV). “Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ And when He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the crowds said, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.’”-Matthew 21:8-11 (ESV).

All four gospel writers record what we have come to term Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

You might like to read all four accounts in their entirety: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; and John 12:12-19. In Christendom, we call the observance “Palm Sunday,” marked by the triumphant waving of palm branches. On that day in Jerusalem the jubilant waving of palm branches and laying of cloaks in the path were outward acts declaring the people’s recognition of and submission to Jesus as King. Waving palm branches had been associated with important Jewish victories of the past. Imagine the tenor of the crowd as they anticipated that soon their long-expected Messiah would declare His rule and free them from Roman oppression.

Jesus rode on a donkey. That, too, had significant symbolism. One who rode in triumph on a lowly donkey brought peace—not war. Of the four gospel writers, Matthew is the only one who mentions two animals, both the donkey and her colt. We are not to see a problem here, but that both were brought by the disciples sent to get them. It is fitting to recognize that the donkey would have walked alongside her unbroken colt to give confidence to the young animal on whom no one had ever ridden. But Jesus rode on the foal. The shout of “Hosanna in the highest!” is from Psalm 118:25-26. The translation from the Hebrew (hoshiahna) is rendered “Save us!”: “Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.”

An atmosphere of celebration and jubilation was everywhere. Noted by the religious authorities whose critical watch was ever upon the prophet and healer—whom they termed an impostor—they commented on the commotion at the city gate: “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him” (John 9:19). When some of the Pharisees asked Jesus to rebuke his disciples for the celebration and demonstration of loyalty their shouts and actions displayed, Jesus told them, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out!” (Luke 19:40). Jesus was referring to the words from Habakkuk 2:11: “For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond.”

Those who cast palm branches and cloaks before Jesus and cried so fervently, “Hosanna in the highest!” so quickly turned against the King of King and Lord of Lords. Their cry became “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Let us view the triumphal entry in the earthly life of our Lord in the perspective of His purpose for coming to earth. He was, indeed, King of King and Lord of Lords—but not in the way anticipated. He was not just for the Jews to be declared their king alone and to establish His rule in the holy city of Jerusalem. He is indeed the righteous Messiah who would “save His people from their sins” (see Mark 8:31, Romans 5:6-8). His triumph as Christos, Saviour, Messiah, Emmanuel was His ultimate purpose: Not for the Jews but for everyone who will crown Him King! Not for an age, but for all ages! Not for an earthly dominion but for the glory of an eternal kingdom! Let us indeed shout “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” - Ethelene Dyer Jones 03.29.2015.

The Helper Promised and Present

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.” -John 14:16 (NKJV) These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” –John 14: 25-16 (NKJV). “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…However, when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth…He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” -John 16:7-8; 13-14 (NKJV).

Jesus knew his earthly time with his disciples was drawing to a close, that his death was imminent. Within the fifth discourse of Jesus given in the Gospel of John, Jesus draws his disciples aside and teaches them many things, reinforcing some He had previously taught, and giving them new promises. 

 

In this intimate discourse, Jesus assured the disciples that He was praying to the Father that He would send a Helper to them, One that would be with them forever. This presence was paraclete, the Greek word for “one Who walks beside,” the Comforter, the Helper. This third person of the Trinity has the power to indwell each believer and to make possible spiritual work of the highest magnitude in and through believers. The Spirit will be Teacher, helping the believer to study and understand the Word of God. The Spirit will stir up the gift of remembrance in the believer, so that when words for witnessing or teaching are needed, they will be brought to the mind of the believer. The Spirit will be Convictor, showing the world the condemnation of sin, and stirring those who will respond to turn to righteousness. He will guide believers into truth. But always He will glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Helper is the third person of the Trinity, the Triune God: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that without the Spirit present in believers, they would not be able to function as His followers in a world gone awry with sin. We are to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), worship in the Spirit (Philippians 3:3), and witness in the Spirit (Acts 1:8). These references teach us a very important doctrine about the Holy Spirit. He works through believers in whom He lives. A very important true illustration of the Spirit at work is on the Day of Pentecost when Peter was empowered to preach and over 3,000 people were convicted of sin and accepted the new and glorious Truth of salvation through faith in Christ. One of the main ministries of the Holy Spirit is to enlighten us with God’s Truth. He is Teacher, but He is also Comforter, Helper, and Friend. He empowers us to do the work Jesus left for his followers to do.

“I will not leave you comfortless,” Jesus promised us in John 14:18. That Comforter comes in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the Trinity is hard to explain and much mystery surrounds it still. Although we can grasp in part the concept of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, one in Three, yet One God, monotheistic, because the persons of the Trinity are in complete harmony working to bring the highest of God’s created order to a restored relationship with God in whose image we are made. May we take time to consider the wonder, majesty and power of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and open anew our hearts to the work of the Holy Spirit to convict, to judge, to empower, to comfort, to teach, to enlighten and to motivate.     Ethelene Dyer Jones 03.22.2015

Examine Your Motives in Good Deeds and Giving

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” –Matthew 6:1-4 (ESV).

Jesus taught much on the theme of living the Christian life in the real world. He warns that practicing righteous acts, giving to the needy and praying can, if the disciple is not careful, inadvertently or deliberately call attention to the doer so that he does these acts of Christian righteousness and piety to be seen of men and to receive praise from men.

He warns strongly against being hypocritical in behavior and in good deeds. Public acts of obedience are honorable, but if they are done merely to be seen of men, then there is no reward from the Father in heaven.

To be a hypocrite—pretending one is something he is not—uses the Greek word for “play-acting,” or wearing different masks, as on a stage, in order to be seen in the role of various characters. We can do the right thing for the wrong reasons, and thus be a hypocrite. The Pharisees were known for making public ado about their giving. This public show of their charity was the only reward for their giving, for the Father in heaven was certainly not pleased with their calling attention to their gifts and generosity. The only reward they will receive is the public acclaim they seek for their action.

“Let not your left hand know what your right hand does” is a metaphor for secrecy in giving. The best Jewish thought held to giving alms without boasting or making public what the gift was. In the Temple, alms boxes were placed strategically to provide charity gifts for widows and orphan children and other needs of the Jewish community. Most of the givers did not make a public outcry of how much they gave, and that was good. Those who tended to proclaim their generosity for the adulation of men were condemned by Jesus. Our motives for giving are always open to God. We should give from an open, generous heart, and that not for praise from our fellowman, or for bragging purposes of how much we gave. Now with our income tax returns requiring that we show proof of our gifts to charitable and authentic religious causes, we know that those who are accountants of such funds know what we give. As we say, “times have changed,” and we have to comply with the laws of our land. But even in our modern means of accounting for our gifts, we can still have a good conscience, one that does not seek adulation of men, but seeks the approval of God who looks on the heart and knows whether we give willingly and cheerfully.

Is our giving done in a loving and generous spirit, without calling attention to how good and caring we are by the gifts we render? - Ethelene Dyer Jones 03.15.2015

Prayer: In the Fellowship of God

“O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You, my soul thirsts for You, my flesh faints for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul shall be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips, when I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to You, Your right hand upholds me.” -Psalm 63:1-8 (ESV).

Often I awake in the morning with a Bible verse I have memorized going through my mind. Again I may awake with the words of a hymn and its tune filling my waking thoughts. This morning I awoke with the words of an old hymn going through my mind:

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,.Unuttered or expressed,

The motion of a hidden fire .That trembles in the breast.

I could have selected from many scriptures verses to go with the title of today’s devotional, “Prayer: In Fellowship with God.” I took my Bible concordance and traced several references on prayer, reading how saints of old prayed, and how our Lord went aside often in His earthly ministry to seek God, be refreshed and renewed and enjoy fellowship with the Father. And then I thought I came to a good understanding of why the words of the James Montgomery hymn had been in my mind when I awoke. “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire.” Sometimes it is unuttered; sometimes it is expressed. Always it is “the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast.”

I must admit I was disappointed that I could not find the hymn and its beautiful words in a current hymnbook, and because most of my “old” hymnbooks are still in the “house in the mountains,” I had to go online to satisfy my curiosity about the beautiful words James Montgomery (1771-1854) wrote so long ago and set to the “Camp Meeting” melody harmonized by Robert G. McCutchan.

Psalm 63 is David’s prayer as he was hiding out in the wilderness of Judah, seeking to escape Saul, jealous and vengeful, who wanted the life of the one anointed to be the next king of Israel. Someone has aptly stated that when we have no other way to turn, we turn to God in prayer. Prayer should not be just a “last-ditch effort” for any of us, although God welcomes and hears even our desperate pleas. Even though Psalm 63 is a Psalm of Lamentation, it is still rich in expressing the heart of prayer which is fellowship with God. The one who prays seeks God, thirsts for fellowship with Him, longs to be in His presence, and is rewarded by experiencing God and beholding His power and glory. The one who prays embraces God’s love and recognizes it as strong, steadfast, enduring. Fellowship with God satisfies as a needed meal satisfies a hungry body. It is wonderful to remember God when upon one’s bed and to experience the protection of His mighty wings. Prayer develops a special relationship between God and the one who frequently and constantly turns to Him in prayer: “My soul clings to God; God’s right hand upholds me!” Christians are very familiar with the Lord’s instructions that we ask in His name (John 14:13-14). James Montgomery ended his wonderful hymn with these words:

“O Thou, by whom we come to God, The Life, the Truth, the way:

The path of prayer Thyself hast trod; Lord, teach us how to pray!”

And Jesus did just that! He gave us the Lord’s Prayer. Will you pray it sincerely now?

-Ethelene Dyer Jones 03.08.2015

Praying through Pain

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; He gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure. The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked to the ground.” –Psalm 147:3-6. “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart: I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33b (ESV).

In the world we meet many people who go through brokenheartedness, trials, tribulations. We ourselves may have burdens hard to bear. I see major significance in the writer of Psalm 147 saying in verse 3 that God ‘heals the brokenhearted, binds up their wounds.” And in the very next statement he tells that God “determines the number of the stars…gives all of them names.” God who is in charge of all creation, orders the stars and the heavenly bodies is the same one who stands to heal persons of whatever burden troubles them. The God of this vast universe is also the caring, healing God of the individual. He knows of all the stars in their courses, but he also knows all of us who suffer. He watches over all.

We enjoy a multitude of blessings that we do not deserve. We also suffer pain, some of which is probably deserved, and some of which may not be. Some are beset with terrible illnesses that oftentimes seem undeserved. We pray and some are relieved of suffering. We pray, and some must continue to bear the suffering. Why the difference? It is not for us to question why, but to bear with faith the pain and burdens we have. Jesus did not promise us that the way of the Christian would always be easy. In fact, He said in John 16:33 that “in the world you will have tribulation.” But He gave us the example of an overcomer: “Take heart, “ He said, “I have overcome the world.”

Sometimes God answers our prayers for relief, not by eliminating the pain, but by giving us strength and faith to overcome. A little girl fell and cut her eyelid badly. For some reason, the doctor felt it best not to give the child any anesthetic to stitch up the eyelid. He explained to her why and asked if she could be brave and not flinch as he “fixed” her eyelid. She said, “Yes. I can do that if my Daddy holds my hand.” And there was her Daddy, right beside her, holding her hand during the procedure. The little girl bravely bore the pain and did not flinch or cry.

Our Father God is wise, loving and tender. Like the little girl with her father, we can put our trust and dependence in God to see us through the pain and suffering we must bear. Even in the midst of pain, we can grow in strength and find victory through Him who helps us overcome. Selah!

-Ethelene Dyer Jones 03.01.2015

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”-Matthew 5:9 (KJV)

“Shalom” is a Hebrew greeting that has several meanings, the most important of which is to wish personal well-being, prosperity, bodily health and peace to the one greeted. Jesus taught us in the beatitudes that peacemakers are blessed and are called the children of God, for God is the Master Peacemaker. Peacemaking was exemplified in the life and ministry of Jesus. Where hatred and strife existed, He taught us how to seek and pursue the ways of peace. A peacemaker is not static, hoping that peace will come if a situation is left alone to work itself out. Instead, a peacemaker actively works to bring about reconciliation where enmity and hatred exist.

Those who work for peace are sharing in Christ’s ministry of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 teaches us that being a peacemaker is part of our Christian way of life: “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

Paul’s teachings on Jesus and the Christian as peacemaker are further clarified in Ephesians 2:14: “For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” In Colossians 1:19-20 the importance of peace and how it is generated is expressed thusly: “For in Him (Jesus) all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.”

Saint Francis of Assissi lived and worked in the 13^th century. A study of his life shows that he was a noted peacemaker. He left behind an often-quoted prayer that has been set to music. The words of his prayer bear out the truth of the seventh Beatitude:

“Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much

Seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” Amen.

– Ethelene Dyer Jones 02.22.2015

A Prayer for Wisdom for Presidents and Rulers

“Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” -1 Kings 3:9 (ESV)

The occasion of this prayer by King Solomon of Israel was soon after he began to reign following the death of his father, King David. Solomon’s reign was from about 970 -930 B. C. Solomon prayed for “an understanding mind.” He had a purpose in focus as he prayed for wisdom. He prayed for discernment between good and evil..He prayed that he might govern well the people over whom he reigned.

God’s response to Solomon’s prayer is noted in 1 Kings 3:10-14 (please read). God was pleased that King Solomon asked for understanding instead of long life and riches. God bestowed on Solomon “a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.” (1 Kings 3: 12b). Furthermore, God also gave Solomon what he had not asked: riches and honor. And if Solomon would walk uprightly, keeping His statutes, Solomon was also promised long life.

I wish that an examination of King Solomon’s forty year reign as King of Israel showed him always following God’s statutes and living an astute and exemplary life. He did accomplish much and the nation prospered. The magnificent Temple was erected in Jerusalem during Solomon’s reign. He also built the king’s palace. Solomon’s prayer of dedication after the Ark of the Covenant had been placed in the Temple was a high and holy time in the life of the Israelite nation. This account of the Temple dedication and the lofty prayer is recorded in 1 Kings 8. Solomon ended his dedicatory address by saying to the people of Israel gathered at the Temple: “”Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in His statutes and keeping His commandments, as at this day.” (I Kings 8;61).

President’s Day is observed the third Monday in February. It is a time when we remember in America that we have a government headed by a president. At every inauguration of presidents from the first, George Washington, to the incumbent, a Bible has been used in the oath of office and a prayer offered for the leader and his responsibilities. We as citizens are urged to pray for the leaders who serve our county.

We stand at a crucial point in our nation’s history. We see a weakening of the principles that have bound us and kept us “one nation under God.” May we, as Solomon, pray for understanding and wisdom for our nation’s leaders and that the president and his cabinet and others in responsible positions in government will have understanding, discernment, and determination to live uprightly and to rule honestly and with integrity.

Prayer: God, guide our nation’s current leaders. Give them understanding and discernment to lead and determination to follow Your statutes and rule with mercy, justice and righteousness. Amen.

-Ethelene Dyer Jones 02.15.2015