TODAY God ‘NEEDS’ US to FULFILL His PURPOSES!
October
20 Bible Reading: Mark Chapters 10-12
TODAY God ‘NEEDS’ US to FULFILL His PURPOSES!
Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to
Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples;
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. And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it,' and
immediately he will send it here." (Mark 11:1-3)
The
above passage signifies that the Gospel of Mark has advanced the ministry of
Jesus from the wilderness, through Galilee, to the final destination of
Jerusalem, where Jesus will fulfill His mission as the Messiah (10:33, 34). This
gospel has been called ‘a passion story
with a long introduction’ as more than one-third of Mark’s narrative takes
place during a seven-day period—the last week of Jesus’ life prior to His
crucifixion (called the “Passion Week”).
God
planned carefully as He carried out
His great work of salvation and nothing was left to chance (Gal. 4:4). If
Passover was on Saturday that year, the sacrificial lamb would be killed on
Friday. The lamb would have been selected on the Sunday before – the day Jesus
(God’s lamb) entered Jerusalem. Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm
Sunday is one of the most well-known events in the New Testament, Celebrated
just a week before Easter, Palm Sunday is a time of great celebration of Jesus’
kingship. Seen in its first-century context, Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey highlights the true nature of His kingdom!
In
the Jewish context, the donkey was a royal animal, and the event was a
coronation celebration (1 Kings 1:32–40). It was the only time our Lord
permitted a public demonstration in His honor, and He did it to fulfill
prophecy and turn the people’s hearts back to the Word of God. Instead of a
parade of chariots and trumpets and a well-orchestrated ceremony, Jesus chose
to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, a common beast of burden. Instead of
walking arm-in-arm with powerful city officials and other celebrities, He was
accompanied only by a small band of common fishermen, rural Galileans, and even
a former tax collector!
The
Old Testament prophesied Jesus’ actions, which in this case identify Him
clearly as the Messiah. In fact, Jesus was fulfilling a prophecy made years ago
by Prophet Zechariah about the coming of a righteous and gentle King to bring
salvation: "Rejoice greatly, O
daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming
to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt,
the foal of a donkey." (Zech 9:9)
The
point to be made here is that our Lord Jesus Christ needed the help of a donkey
for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Mark 11:3 clearly states
that Jesus had the need of a donkey
to ride into Jerusalem and reveal Himself as "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
(John 1:29) When we apply this into our personal lives, let us understand that God needs us as well to fulfill His grand
purposes for building His Kingdom!
The
Creator of the entire universe needs us
and desires to fit us into His eternal
design. While we admit that we are as insignificant as the unknown donkey
on which Jesus rode into Jerusalem, God will definitely use us for the
extraordinary work in His Kingdom! Can we
humble ourselves before God as ask Him to fulfill His purposes through our
lives today!
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:1-2)
