Jesus is perceived as an earthly king as He rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey.
When Jesus rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey, why does the crowd rush out to greet Him? The answer is found in Jewish culture and history. In Old Testament times, one of the ways a king was inaugurated was to get on a donkey and have a large retinue of people walk along behind him shouting, "Long live the King!"
The crowd in the temple wants to make Jesus king. When they see Him riding toward them on a donkey, they use it as an opportunity to precipitate a coronation. That He was crucified shortly afterward indicates that they were looking only for a national leader rather than a personal Savior. How do you see Him?
· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of this psalm:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, confess this prayer to the Lord:
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
O God of peace, sanctify me completely; make my whole spirit, soul, and body to be preserved blameless at the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ (based on 1 Thessalonians 5:23).