The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who wins souls is
wise! ~Proverbs 11:30
They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They answered as Jesus told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, He sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the field. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our Father David! Hosanna in the highest!” ~Mark 11:4-10
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ~John 3:16-18
“The one who saves souls is wise.” Can there be anyone more wise than our King Jesus who came into this world with the specific task of saving our souls from death, hell and destruction? “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.” Can there be anyone more righteous than our glorious King Jesus? He is “the first fruit of them that slept” (1 Cor. 15:20) so that we could be His fruit, in His likeness, after Him.
Today is the day that we remember and focus on what is called, Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. First of all, there is a similar word, “triumphant” That should not be used here. The difference in meaning is subtle. Triumphal means it looked like a triumph. Triumphant means it already was a triumph. So, Jesus’ march into Jerusalem was triumphal in its appearance and presentation of pageantry to signify that He is their King. But His actual triumph occurred at the cross and was sealed with the empty tomb, which we will remember next Sunday. The stone rolled away is triumphant!
The observers along the route for this day, however, thought that they were eyewitnesses to the beginning of a new day for Jerusalem. They wanted Rome to sit up and take notice because their King Jesus was coming to set things right on earth. There was so much richness to this scene that they missed altogether. Jesus was coming to restore life, but not earthly life. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.” Let’s remember the tree of life.
In genesis 3, after they sinfully ate the fruit from the Tree of Good and Evil, God removed Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden so that they would not also eat of the fruit of the Tree of Life and suffer for eternity in a sinful state. “And the Lord God said, “the man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever.” (Gen.3:22)
Jesus came, to not only bring life, but through Him, transform us to enjoy the fruit of life that we were denied in the Garden. “On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every morning. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” (Rev. 22:2). He came not only to transform us to be His fruit, but to make us able to enjoy His fruit forever.
He also demonstrated His wisdom in having the plan that was bigger than what the people along the route wanted that day. Jesus knew about the unseen enemy that was bigger than Rome. While we may have been tempted to do what would have been popular in the moment, Jesus knew to stay the course, endure the cross and win the victory for all creation.
While it is true that the big enemy is death, because of our sin, sadly, we must acknowledge that, at one time, we were on death’s side, opposed to Christ and an enemy of His Kingdom. “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, (enemies of God), Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) The people in the crowd showed a different side of themselves, and for many, maybe their true colors, when Jesus didn’t do things their way. Within 4 days, they cried. “Crucify him!”
Perhaps we would have done the same. We don’t know. In love, however, Jesus marched on, through the day, through the week for His glory. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
Prayer: Jesus, my Lord and King, thank you for your triumphant Grace, mercy and love that sets us free to live by these Truths that you have revealed in the gospel! It breaks my heart to ponder the truth that you had to go to such lengths of suffering to save me. But thank You! In Jesus name, amen.
Song: All Glory, Laud and Honor
And if you like organ and just want to watch one: Organ
They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They answered as Jesus told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, He sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the field. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our Father David! Hosanna in the highest!” ~Mark 11:4-10
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ~John 3:16-18
“The one who saves souls is wise.” Can there be anyone more wise than our King Jesus who came into this world with the specific task of saving our souls from death, hell and destruction? “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.” Can there be anyone more righteous than our glorious King Jesus? He is “the first fruit of them that slept” (1 Cor. 15:20) so that we could be His fruit, in His likeness, after Him.
Today is the day that we remember and focus on what is called, Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. First of all, there is a similar word, “triumphant” That should not be used here. The difference in meaning is subtle. Triumphal means it looked like a triumph. Triumphant means it already was a triumph. So, Jesus’ march into Jerusalem was triumphal in its appearance and presentation of pageantry to signify that He is their King. But His actual triumph occurred at the cross and was sealed with the empty tomb, which we will remember next Sunday. The stone rolled away is triumphant!
The observers along the route for this day, however, thought that they were eyewitnesses to the beginning of a new day for Jerusalem. They wanted Rome to sit up and take notice because their King Jesus was coming to set things right on earth. There was so much richness to this scene that they missed altogether. Jesus was coming to restore life, but not earthly life. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.” Let’s remember the tree of life.
In genesis 3, after they sinfully ate the fruit from the Tree of Good and Evil, God removed Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden so that they would not also eat of the fruit of the Tree of Life and suffer for eternity in a sinful state. “And the Lord God said, “the man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever.” (Gen.3:22)
Jesus came, to not only bring life, but through Him, transform us to enjoy the fruit of life that we were denied in the Garden. “On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every morning. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” (Rev. 22:2). He came not only to transform us to be His fruit, but to make us able to enjoy His fruit forever.
He also demonstrated His wisdom in having the plan that was bigger than what the people along the route wanted that day. Jesus knew about the unseen enemy that was bigger than Rome. While we may have been tempted to do what would have been popular in the moment, Jesus knew to stay the course, endure the cross and win the victory for all creation.
While it is true that the big enemy is death, because of our sin, sadly, we must acknowledge that, at one time, we were on death’s side, opposed to Christ and an enemy of His Kingdom. “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, (enemies of God), Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) The people in the crowd showed a different side of themselves, and for many, maybe their true colors, when Jesus didn’t do things their way. Within 4 days, they cried. “Crucify him!”
Perhaps we would have done the same. We don’t know. In love, however, Jesus marched on, through the day, through the week for His glory. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
Prayer: Jesus, my Lord and King, thank you for your triumphant Grace, mercy and love that sets us free to live by these Truths that you have revealed in the gospel! It breaks my heart to ponder the truth that you had to go to such lengths of suffering to save me. But thank You! In Jesus name, amen.
Song: All Glory, Laud and Honor
And if you like organ and just want to watch one: Organ
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