After the religious people grilled Jesus with tough questions it was Jesus’ turn to ask His: “How can people say that the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is David’s Son? For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, the Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for your feet. So David calls Him Lord; how then is He his Son?”  (Luke 20:41-44 Amplified)

What Jesus was saying is that the Messiah is much much more than a mere descendant of David. He is actually David’s LORD. Someone who is far above David. But to Jesus’ question/statement no one gave an answer, I suppose because this was simply too much for them to take in. They already knew that many believed Jesus was the Messiah and were trying hard to redefine Him. Others had openly tried to discredit Him. But this didn’t keep Jesus from making His numerous references to how He and the Father were one, indicating His deity. And now Jesus challenged them with this scripture, a scripture they were surely familiar with, and still they wouldn’t acknowledge the obvious. They still wanted to make Jesus less than what He was.

Nothing changes. The secular world and even some “religious” people still want to make Jesus less. Oh, they might grudgingly acknowledge He was a good man and a good teacher but little more. Like those in Jesus’ day, even when confronted by the scriptures they refuse to accept them, refuse to answer the tough questions, even refuse an honest evaluation of them.

And here’s the strangest part: I’ve yet to meet someone who claims he doesn’t believe in the Bible who has actually read it! They may have heard snippets of it preached in church or heard someone else give their views on it, but they have never read it for themselves. 

On the other hand, I’ve head many many stories about people who started out not believing in Jesus, and ended up totally committed to Him after reading the Bible through with an open mind. God’s word is powerful. It will clearly acquaint one with the person of Jesus Christ, then change them, heal them and give them a hope and a future. I think that’s why Satan tries so hard to discredit it and to discourage people from reading it. But it’s in scripture that the toughest question—who is Jesus—will be answered, and it’s scripture that will help answer the other tough questions in life, as well.

My prayer is that God births in each of us a new desire to read His word and then to live it.

Until next time,

Sylvia

Jesus knows the end is near. Soon He will fulfill His role as the “Lamb of God” and sacrifice His life for all. But before He does, something interesting happens. In Matthew 21:1-11 He tells his disciples to get a certain donkey with its colt, and then He rides that donkey into Jerusalem. The crowd is beside themselves as people spread their garments on the road before Him. “Hosanna,” they shout. “Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.”

What was going on? Verse 5 tells us that this was in fulfillment of a prophecy in Zechariah 9:9, “Say to the Daughter of Zion Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” So this was Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem acknowledging Himself as King and being acknowledged by the crowd as king for that was what they meant by calling Him “son of David.”

But it wasn’t the first time Jesus had been acknowledged as King. It happen when the Magi followed the star to Bethlehem in order to kneel before Jesus and lay their gifts at His feet. The Magi were considered “kingmakers” and in the Medo-Persian Empire no one became a king unless the Magi elected and crowned him. It was here in Bethlehem that Jesus was elected King, even though no such election was necessary for God, But it was a sign to us. And soon, after this entry into Jerusalem, Jesus would be crowned King—with a crown make of thorns.

It wasn’t unusual for a king to ride a donkey, either. Solomon did it in 1Kings 1:33 when he rode a mule to Gihon to be anointed by the prophet, Nathan, as king over Israel. It was a sign of humility but also a sign of peace. Kings rode donkeys when coming in peace and they rode war horses when going into battle.

So here we see a picture of Jesus, the King of Kings, entering Jerusalem in peace; humble and meek and ready to die for each of us. What a picture of the heart and character of God! But there’s another side of Jesus’ Kingship. When He returns He’ll not be riding a donkey. Revelation 19:11-16 tells us that He will be riding a white horse, with His vestures dipped in blood, “and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORD.” He will not be a King of Peace, but a King coming to do battle with the unsaved of the world. What a contrast to King Jesus in Matthew!

Oh what a cautionary tale this is for us. Let us submit ourselves to our meek, gentle King for if we don’t, we will eventually be forced to submit to the King whose vesture is dipped in blood.

Until next time,

Sylvia