Sunday, March 29, 2015

Choose Him....

In Biblical times, Palm Sunday would have been known as "Lamb Selection Day." 
The day families would go and select their lamb, similar to the way your family heads out to select your Christmas tree. (Minus the kids faces glued to their iPhones and the perfect family tree pics posted on Instagram. 
You know the drill....it is never easy...you gotta pick just the right one...
It was on this day, the week of Passover, Jesus came out of the wilderness on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives (just as the prophecy said the Messiah would come). 
This date and time had been fixed since the foundation of the world.

People spread cloaks and palm branches on the road before him. Then the disciples "Began, joyfully, to praise God in loud voices 
for all the miracles they had seen" ~Luke 19:37. 
The crowd began shouting, "Hosanna." This was a slogan of the ultra-nationalistic Zealots, which meant, "Please save us! Give us freedom! We're sick of these Romans!"

What's Up With The Palm Branches?
Palm branches were very symbolic to all people back then. they were found on Jewish coins. They were not a symbol of peace or love, 
they were an expression of the people's desire for political freedom.


Jesus knew exactly what they wanted and how they wanted it.And it caused Him to weep.
Take that in for a minute....Jesus Wept. Out. Loud.

His response to them.....was tears....and lots of them
He grieved for the hearts of His People.
He knew they wanted a warrior.....someone to give them "freedom".....little did they know they were face to face with the only One who can offer true freedom...
it just wasn't what they thought it would look like. They weren't remotely interested in a Messiah who offered forgiveness and deliverance from sin.

Jesus came to them....and to you and to me.....as The Very Lamb of God.
Jesus, the sinless Messiah who would die on humankind's behalf, appeared on the very same day that people were to choose their spotless Passover lambs! 

It's as if God Himself, was yelling to the entire world,
"Here's My Lamb. Will you choose him?"

This Palm Sunday He listens for your answer and for mine...
as He once again asks....this very day....

Will you pick Me...Will you let Me be your Lamb?
Thank you God for offering Your Only Son on Lamb Selection Day. I choose You.

In His Dust,
DCC

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