Dear friends,
There’s a word that has been on my heart: RECLAIM. There is so much that tries to claim us saying, “you are mine, this is who you are.” Sin rises up inside of us and leads us astray. Society, work, entertainment, material, all of those things on the outside, say this is who you should be. The devil whispers in our ear, you’re unworthy. We are constantly bombarded with forces trying to lay hold of us.
This week is Easter. A time of joyous remembrance when Jesus rescued us from the bondage of sin and death. Normally, we might have a big celebration, with easter egg hunts, and large gatherings, but not this year. Many of the things we do, isn’t what Easter is about at all. God has a sovereign plan over all this. Let’s take this week and reclaim Christ in our lives.
Reclaim Christ in our homes! Reclaim Christ in our relationships. Reclaim Christ in our priorities. Reclaim Christ in our marriages and families. Would you join us this week and just let the peace of Jesus pour into you and your family?
We don’t want to add on more weight to your day. We’re going to keep it real simple. Every day we will send out a text of the bible leading up to Easter when Jesus rose from the grave. The passages are short; I mean just a few minutes tops to read. Here’s what we want you to do:
Read the passage in your home.
Spend time contemplating and praying.
Share with somebody outside of your home.
Palm Sunday, April 5th
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem, Matthew 21:1-11
“When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
“Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
RECLAIMED FROM STRIFE
In the ancient middle eastern world, leaders rode horses when they rode to war, but donkeys if they came in peace. Many people expected Jesus to be a conquering Messiah who came to overthrow the Romans. However, the real enemies that had to be defeated were not kingdoms and armies, but rather sin and death. The real enemy each of us face is the inner battle with sin.
This could not be done on a warhorse with great power. Instead, it took humility, a willingness to take the form of a servant and submit to punishment that God’s people deserve for their sin (Phil 2:5-11).
Throughout Scripture we find that humility is the path to victory and exaltation. The world does not expect to find true strength in those who are humble, but God has a way of taking what sinners do not find glorious and using it to reveal His glory and honor. If we would take up the cross of Jesus and follow Him truly, we must likewise seek to find strength only in the Lord by humbling ourselves before Him and others.
Some questions for contemplation/discussion:
What are some of the forces that have shaped your life?
What aspects of Jesus’ life do you admire?
What do you think God might be saying to you right now?
What do you think God might want you to do in response to what he is saying?
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