Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
Matthew 21:8-9
The One Step Daily Devotional is intended to provide just one step each day for your journey with God. Every journey requires water breaks. Here is a water break for you.
In the account of Jesus coming into Jerusalem, we see the people completely misunderstand the purposes of Jesus. Amongst other things, the oppression of the Roman Empire created a corporate desire for salvation. The coming of Jesus, the Savior, met great excitement!
That excitement was expressed through the word hosanna and laying down palms. While hosanna was used as a term of adoration, joy, and praise, it also originally meant, “save, please!” While laying down palms was suitable for Kings, it also was a tradition reserved for a conquering king.
Jesus’s entry on a donkey (a sign of peace) rather than a great steed (customary for conquering kings) should have clued them in, but they missed it.
The savior that they believed they needed (and certainly wanted) had arrived! One problem: freedom from the Roman Empire was not why He came.
We can often grow frustrated with God when He doesn’t save us from what we believe we need to be saved from, but even in that place of frustration, we can see God’s goodness.
The people of Israel wanted freedom from the Romans; Jesus came to offer freedom from sin and death. The people of Israel had a corporate need in mind that included the people of Israel in the time of the Roman Empire; Jesus had in mind a corporate need that included all of humanity for all of time.
And guess what… even though Jesus came to free us from sin, the people of Israel eventually received freedom from the Roman Empire.
God cares about our current circumstances, and He has freedom from our difficulties in mind, but there is a greater purpose at work… and it’s always for our good.
Jesus hears our cries of, “save, please!” He also appreciates us celebrating the coming victory, even if we misunderstand the focus of battle.
Jesus cares. Jesus saves.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to trust Him in the waiting. Perhaps today God wants you to remember that He cares. Maybe today God wants you to know that He has a great purpose at work, and while it is an eternal purpose, it also includes freedom from the oppression that we experience today.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.
Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!
*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 517–524, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 21:1–11) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).