Good day dear friends.
Let us continue to be in prayer for Robin Brown and her husband
Del. Robin was taken by ambulance to BAMC for running a high fever
and this before a scheduled MRI, biopsy and surgery for a brain
tumor. It turns out the fever was caused by the "bug" that Del had
and doctors quickly got that under control. Sometime tomorrow they
will do the MRI, biopsy and surgery. Please keep this family in
your thoughts and prayers. Also for Mr. Gregg, who suffered a
stroke and is in CTMC here in town. He was in good spirits last
night when I visited with him and he was telling me he was going to
Wimberley for rehab. He also said he was going back to Merrill
Garden for rehab, so either way, please hold him in prayer.
We continue to study the events of Palm Sunday and how Jesus entered
the city of Jerusalem that day. Here is our study guide for today:
Tuesday: Matthew calls this entrance a fulfillment of prophecy
employing the Jewish tradition of taking from one scripture a part,
then another part from another. Read Isaiah 62:11 and then read
Zechariah 9:9. What are your thoughts about prophecy in general and
this fulfillment in particular?
For the Jewish person of Jesus' day their scripture related not only
to the events occuring during the writing of the day but also seen
as perhaps sharing a clue or hint about what was to come. As
prophecies concerning the Messiah began to shape in their thought,
various scriptures from the Hebrew Bible begin to speak to them in
present, if not future terms. For Matthew to have known Jesus'
entrance was a fulfillment of prophecy meant he was familiar with
his scriptures about what was to happen. Please keep in mind that
as the events of that day and week unfolded it wouldn't be until
after Easter Sunday that Matthew would fully understand all things.
But at this writing of his gospel he was fully aware and fully
confident that these words had been fulfilled.
The Jewish scholar would know all of the coming prophecies and might
even join two together to complete a thought concerning an event.
We see this happening in Isaiah 62:11 and Zechariah 9:9. Here are
those two scriptures respectively:
"Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the
daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward
is with him, and his recompense before him.'"
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of
Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is
he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass."
Both thoughts on their own are powerful enough, but put together
complete the images of that day of Jesus' entry: Jesus brought
salvation, the promise of his reward and recompense and he indeed
came in "triumphant and victorious," "humble and rising on an ass,
on a colt the foal of an ass." Jesus knew the scriptures as well
and having known the purposes of God in his own life does all that
will help the disciples remember that yes, this was the Son of God
and the Messiah, the long awaited anointed one of God.
What are your thoughts on this? Looking at this from faith some
2,000 years after the event, do you believe that God fulfilled His
promises through Jesus? Having received and being in relationship
with Jesus can you not join the throng who indeed said Sunday and
can say today on Tuesday, "Hosanna!"? If not, there's no
condemnation because of that, but you're missing out on so much.
Ultimately you will choose whether you know it or not. If you
choose not to decide or think you have, you've already chosen not to
believe. I pray that you would believe and that you would enter
into the joy of your Lord. It will make this week and all weeks so
much fuller and easier ones in which to proclaim, "Blessed is the
One who comes in the Name of the Lord!"
PRAYER: Come again, King Jesus into our hearts and lives. Let us
truly believe in You and what You've offered to us. Bring us
salvation, your reward and recompense, and let all this serve to
help us shout today and all days with Your "Hosannas!" IN Thy name
we pray. Amen.
Have a blessed day!
e.v.
