|
Week:13, Season:1,
2015
Posted on Saturday by PCT
|
|
My Saviour has come
|
|
Scripture：《
John 12:12-16
》
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: 15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.
|
|
|
|
Following Jesus to Jerusalem
Today is Palm Sunday and the beginning of the Passion Week. I encourage everyone to spend this time to have meditate quietly about the meaning of Jesus entering Jerusalem. Since tourism became popular, whenever Taiwanese Christians have the chance to visit Israel, the city of Jerusalem and the temple is an essential place for pilgrims to visit. The temple of Jerusalem is the place to worship God and ask for forgiveness. In Old Testament time, visiting the holy city of Jerusalem was like standing before God. The importance of Jerusalem to Christians is definitely not simply a historical city but it is “the city of peace” or called “the city of David” because it was built by King David.
David wanted to build the temple of God in Jerusalem but God did not permit this; then David prepared the construction materials for his son, Solomon, and the temple was built in Solomon’s time. The historical reason tells us that the city of Jerusalem represents David’s longing for God’s righteousness, mercy, kindness and protection. To most Israelis, Jerusalem is always a beautiful memory of the time of David, a glorious and peaceful era. Therefore, when persecution and suffering comes like a sharp knife to the Israelis, the city of Jerusalem is their comfort which reminds them to return to God and call for his help and salvation.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, many people took palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” The meaning of “Hosanna” in Hebrew is “let us praise or adore (him)” and “ask for the salvation of God.” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, people shouted “Hosanna” to express their praise and adoration to Jesus. Just as they welcomed King David, people expected Jesus to come as their Messiah.
The joyful shouting came with people entering Jerusalem from the east of the Mount of Olives and a hundred miles north of Galilee. Behind their praise is the hope of seeing the Saviour and the strong emotion of feeling that “God has responded to our prayer.”
However, while there was this joyful welcome to Jesus, on the other side of Jerusalem was the Roman governor of Judea, Pilate, and his army was entering Jerusalem from the west. The crowds following Jesus shouted for the joy of the kingdom of God and the army of Pilate sang for the power of the Empire. One comes to be the saviour and the other comes to be the political authority. Ruling by a totalitarian government, ordinary people suffered from at least three types of oppression: 1. Political oppression: society is controlled by the small number of super rich and powerful eliteand most ordinary people do not have the right to speak out for social development; 2. Economic oppression: the labour of people forms the nation’s finance but people were economically oppressed because over half of the value of ordinary people’s properties was taken by the rich by the rules of land ownership, tax, labour contract and laws; 3. Religious oppression: rationalising the king’s sovereignty, jurisdiction and supremacy in the name of religion made it a reason for the ruler to control people.
At the time, the Israelites were deeply oppressed and controlled in all those three dimensions’. So after a long wait they saw Jesus entering Jerusalem and shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” Jesus was the hope for people suffering for so long; they saw a saviour coming from God who would listen to the voices rejected by the Roman rulers.
Entering Jerusalem with Jesus
Those who entered Jerusalem with Jesus also carried the mission of God with Christ. The purpose of entering Jerusalem from the east is to claim the authority of God; this also shows Jesus came to hear people who were feeling sorrow and pain in both body and spirit; he came to heal and set them free.
In modern society, helplines, social work and counselling aims to make people feel better. When risk comes because we no longer feel secure under the social system, these remedies work and help to those whose life is in danger. Through measures like listening, understanding, companionship, offering resources to help people not to give up hope in their lives or to suffer through lack of support. These systems of help may be found through religious reflection on the coming of a saviour and people willing to commit to the work of Jesus’ salvation. Christians should thus carry the mission to stand alongside those in need, understand their problems and provide proper support. This is as though we entered Jerusalem with Christ.
Living a new life with Jesus’ example
Jesus Christ came not to establish new laws but to fulfil the law of God. To prevent people not to misinterpret the law of God is to convict people, Jesus chose the road of the cross and made a promise to us through his precious blood, “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.” (Romans 8:3)
We need the salvation of Christ and we have indeed received this blessing. What we need to do next is to allow the work of salvation done for us to produce more mission and commitment to carry the example of Jesus to help more suffering lives. We need to listen to others’ life stories, pray for them and help them to pray. We must allow the Christian faith to become a blessing and help to all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For discussion：
1. Has attending the Sunday service just become a routine for you？ Is it time for you to come closer to God？
2. Have you learnt from Jesus and showed his example to others through listening, standing alongside and praying with someone？
Please pray for：
1. Those who long for truth but hav enot yet made up their minds to believe in God.
2. The disadvantaged and oppressed.
3. The lack of resource and support for the disadvantaged to be improved. May God help us to have the ability to care for others.
Prayer：
Dear heavenly father, too many unjust things have happened in this generation. Please help us to carry our own responsibility instead of complaining; help us to offer our enthusiasm and commit to help those who need help. We give thanks to your son, Jesus Christ, coming into our life and listening to our deep desire so we are healed and saved. Help us to accept this thanks and move forward to the future. Please be with us and send us out to help more people. May we share the grace we have received with one another. In the name of Christ. Amen.
Something you can do：
1. Practise Lent prayer on Good Friday. Meditate on how your new life as a Christian can bless church, society and other people.
2. Pray for a friend or colleague who does not believe in Christ. Invite him/her to Easter Sunday worship and share the joy of believing in the gospel.
|
|
|
|
|