Devotional Thought for Today

John 12: 12-13 (NLT)

“The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet Him. They shouted, ‘Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hail to the King of Israel!’”

As an avid fan of Major League Baseball, one of the things that I enjoy the most about attending a game is the moment when a batter from the home team (preferably the Cubs) walks up to the plate before taking his first pitch. As the batter approaches the plate, his walkup music blasts over the stadium’s PA system to not only boost his confidence but also to get the home crowd hyped. Even if the home team is down a couple of runs, its fans gain a sense of hope when their MVP engages in his walkup routine.

I can imagine that this was exactly how many people in the crowd felt as Jesus made His way towards the city of Jerusalem. Although life had been difficult under the leadership of the Roman government, the sight of Jesus arriving on the scene at a time when the entire nation was gathered in Jerusalem provided many people with a boost of inspiration. The amount of hope that they had was so high that they proceeded to provide Jesus with an entry experience that was fit for a king (by waving palm branches). But it’s interesting to realize how quickly their enthusiasm towards Jesus changed when it became clear that He wasn’t there to fulfill their hopes of becoming their national leader who would restore the glory of Israel. The level of their desperation, at the moment, was so high that they had loss sight of Christ’s true mission as recorded by the prophets. He had come to provide them with a liberation to reconcile their position with God. But the Passover crowd wasn’t trying to focus on their eternal security. Their praise of Jesus was contingent on Him living up to their ideas about Him.

As you worship God today, ask yourself the question, “On what condition is my praise of Jesus based on?” Does he only deserve your worship because He’s responding to your present crisis exactly the way that you’ve imagined? Or does He deserve our worship because He’s reconciled us back to the Father (providing us with a security that never expires)? While it would be wonderful for Christ to zap from our lives every problem that we have, He’s deserving of our praise even when the adversity intensifies (debt collectors continue to call, health prognosis is gloomy, etc.). If Jesus never does another thing for us, He’s worthy of our praise for loving us so that He was willing to provide an eternal victory for us when none existed. That’s why He’s our MVP.

Posted By: Rev. Arthur L. Wilson