Daily Devotional: April 8
Mark 11:1-2
Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to [a]Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; 2 and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it.
Mark 15:13;20
So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!
And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.
Mark 15: 37
37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.
Mark 16:16
But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.
As I reflect on the beginning of this “Holy Week” and Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a colt, I can’t help but think how Jesus our King, deserved so much more. Kings rode in on their stallion horses with thousands of soldiers in their procession, not on colts with disciples, who most likely smelled like fish, as their entourage. Deserving more, not just in this very moment as He rode into the city but throughout His whole life. He was undeserving to have been born in a manger, undeserving to be thought of as lesser, to be mocked, laughed at, scourged and let alone crucified. I understand that He came into the world to serve and to love, and the purpose of His life was to die for our sins so that we could have eternal life, but what King has ever gone through such undeserving things, who has ever set this example? We received the ultimate gift... God loved the world so much that He sent his only Son to die for us, to die for you and me, so that we could spend eternity with Him (John 3:16). This is what I am so undeserving of, yet God freely gave His Son for me!
Our selfish human nature screams... I am deserving! Deserving of what?... a promotion, a raise, acknowledgement of a job well done, of a new car, a bigger house. Don’t get me wrong… these tangible things are not wrong if they do not take our focus off the Giver of Life and if all these good gifts do not become our idols (Is 44:9). Once we take our eyes off the Prize our vision becomes blurry and we no longer see clearly (Phil 3:14, 2Tim 4:8).
My point is this, Jesus was the ultimate one to deserve the very best yet undeserving of what His life was like and here we are in a constant sinful state, not deserving of the gift that Jesus gave selflessly – Himself. The amazing part is that He loves us despite everything, He loves us unconditionally and if you doubt that - don’t! Who else would die for you on the Cross?
I think of that song, Who You Say I Am, in the second verse where it says…
Free at last
He has ransomed me
His grace runs deep
While I was a slave to sin
Jesus died for me
Yes He died for me
And not only did he die but HE ROSE!! He lives, and He lives in YOU. We get to experience the Glory of God. So as we walk through this week, take some time to experience Jesus’ journey. Let it soak in. Reflect, Pray and Rejoice.
FOR YOUR KIDS
Get to know your kids
Devotional Questions
Prayer
What do you need prayer for this week?
Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to [a]Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; 2 and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it.
Mark 15:13;20
So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!
And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.
Mark 15: 37
37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.
Mark 16:16
But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.
As I reflect on the beginning of this “Holy Week” and Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a colt, I can’t help but think how Jesus our King, deserved so much more. Kings rode in on their stallion horses with thousands of soldiers in their procession, not on colts with disciples, who most likely smelled like fish, as their entourage. Deserving more, not just in this very moment as He rode into the city but throughout His whole life. He was undeserving to have been born in a manger, undeserving to be thought of as lesser, to be mocked, laughed at, scourged and let alone crucified. I understand that He came into the world to serve and to love, and the purpose of His life was to die for our sins so that we could have eternal life, but what King has ever gone through such undeserving things, who has ever set this example? We received the ultimate gift... God loved the world so much that He sent his only Son to die for us, to die for you and me, so that we could spend eternity with Him (John 3:16). This is what I am so undeserving of, yet God freely gave His Son for me!
Our selfish human nature screams... I am deserving! Deserving of what?... a promotion, a raise, acknowledgement of a job well done, of a new car, a bigger house. Don’t get me wrong… these tangible things are not wrong if they do not take our focus off the Giver of Life and if all these good gifts do not become our idols (Is 44:9). Once we take our eyes off the Prize our vision becomes blurry and we no longer see clearly (Phil 3:14, 2Tim 4:8).
My point is this, Jesus was the ultimate one to deserve the very best yet undeserving of what His life was like and here we are in a constant sinful state, not deserving of the gift that Jesus gave selflessly – Himself. The amazing part is that He loves us despite everything, He loves us unconditionally and if you doubt that - don’t! Who else would die for you on the Cross?
I think of that song, Who You Say I Am, in the second verse where it says…
Free at last
He has ransomed me
His grace runs deep
While I was a slave to sin
Jesus died for me
Yes He died for me
And not only did he die but HE ROSE!! He lives, and He lives in YOU. We get to experience the Glory of God. So as we walk through this week, take some time to experience Jesus’ journey. Let it soak in. Reflect, Pray and Rejoice.
FOR YOUR KIDS
Get to know your kids
- What's your favorite weird food combination?
- What would you do if I stole your candy?
Devotional Questions
- What things do kings usually have?
- What are some things King Jesus deserved to have in His life?
- Did Jesus ever have these things? (Jesus gave up those things because He loves and cares for you.)
Prayer
What do you need prayer for this week?
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1 Comment
Great reminder pastor Phil. Amazing to me is that He who knows us best still loves us most. He tells us to give Him our worst (sin) so He can give us His best. Grace,mercy,forgiveness and the promises go on. PTL.