Lord, Save Us!

 

Lord, Save Us! (Mark 11:1-11)

“Hosanna! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord! God bless the coming kingdom of King David, our father!” (Mark 11:9-10)

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Well, that was exciting!

We came to Jerusalem today. But our entrance into the city wasn’t quiet, by any means. On our way into the city, Jesus had acquired a colt to ride. So he was sitting on the colt while we followed behind.

As people saw Jesus, they were filled with excitement. They crowded around us, some in front, and some behind. The crowd swelled as we went along. By the time we got to the city gates, we were in a sea of people. 

The people were giving Jesus the royal treatment. They were placing their cloaks on the road before him. They were waving branches in celebration. They shouted out, “Hosanna! (which means Lord, save us) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

It is pretty clear that the people have come to conclude that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. The way they embraced him and honored him when we came into Jerusalem leaves no doubt in my mind that they were proclaiming him to be the Messiah. The way they used to words of the psalm – Lord, save us! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! – and applied those words to the promise that God made regarding King David, namely, that the Messiah would be a descendant of David made it clear that the people believe that Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. 

The city was abuzz with excitement. If I could read everyone’s mind, I would guess that they were thinking that God has finally kept his promise to restore Israel as his people, that somehow Jesus was going to purge the land of the Roman scourge that had oppressed us and filled us with shame for so long, that righteousness and justice were finally going to rule the day, and that all the nations of the world would bow in humble adoration to our God, high and lifted up on the mountain.

The funny thing is, Jesus didn’t really say anything about all the excitement surrounding him. He just went to the temple, looked around, and then took us back to Bethany.

Today my walk with Jesus has left me with more questions than answers. I have no doubts about Jesus being the Messiah, but I wonder how it’s all going to work out. Jesus has never spoken about glory and power and military might. Instead, he has spoken of the necessary suffering and death of the Son of Man – not once, but three times in recent weeks. And whenever we have discussed his kingdom, Jesus has told us that whoever wants to be great must become servants, giving ourselves for the sake of others.

My mind also goes back to the psalm that the people were quoting when they said, “Lord, save us! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” I remember that the psalm is one that is sung when people are taking a sacrifice to the altar. I recall that immediately following the words spoken by the people for Jesus today, the psalm says, “Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar” (Psalm 118:27, NKJV). But where was the sacrifice in the procession today? Where was the lamb?

At the end of the day, I have more questions than answers. Even in the aftermath of the excitement of the day, I am not able to rest. There is something disquieting in my spirit.

Lord Jesus, I know you are the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. Give clarity to my mind and my heart, especially in the days ahead, to comprehend what your kingdom really looks like and how you will truly rule in the hearts of all people. Amen.