SUNDAY 8TH APRIL 2017
TOPIC: THE ROAD
TEXT: Matthew 21:7-8 “And brought the ass and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and
they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way others cut down branches from the trees and strawed them in the way…”
Have you ever found yourself traveling down the road on your way to something you know will be a significant moment in your life? Perhaps you were on your way to your first day of college or to interview for your dream job. Or may be you were driving to your wedding or speeding to the hospital for the birth of your child. Undoubtedly, this ride is different from your usual trip to the grocery store! Your heart is racing as your mind plays out every possible scenario.
Imagine how Jesus must have felt as He traveled down the road about to enter Jerusalem, knowing that this road ultimately would end in His death.
Jesus knew that He would be betrayed, imprisoned, tortured, and killed, but He also knew that “the hour has come that the Son Of Man the has come ‘that the Son Of Man should be glorified” (John 12:23). You see, Jesus was on a mission to tear down the great divide between God and man (2 Corin.5:18), to render sin powerless (Rom. 6:6), to defeat death (1Corin.15:55), and to Set us free (Gal.5:1) Nothing was going to stop Him from fulfilling His mission to rescue mankind.
In Acts 9, we read about a Pharisee Who was also traveling on a road to complete a mission and just like Jesus, this man believed he was fulfilling God’s work Unlike Jesus, he had no idea where this road would lead him.
His name was Saul Of Tarsus, a man known for persecuting believers, for “breathing threats and murder against the disciples Of the Lord” (Acts 9:1) His mission? To arrest Christ followers and bring them to Jerusalem for trial (9-2), which essentially guaranteed they would be stoned unless they denied their faith On this road, Saul came face-to-face With Jesus, the very One whose followers Saul was persecuting! And in the midst Of their encounter, the zealous Pharisee, Who was no doubt humbled by the sight Of the Light Of the world, was given a new name (Paul, which means -humble) and a new mission. What road are you on today? Where has your journey taken you? Sometimes, life takes us down a dark road, and we wake up one day wondering how we got this far but the good news is that Jesus traveled the road we never could and “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” (Heb 12:2). For this reason, no matter what road we’re on or where our ride has left us, Jesus Will be there to meet us and shine His light on us!
MEDITATION: Zech. 9:9-10
BIBLE STUDY
Lev. 13; Ps. 15&16; Prov. 27; 2 Thess. 1