Welcoming Jesus

By Pastor Chad

Read: Matthew 21:1-11

I’ve traveled to the Middle East seven times in the last eight years. I love being there, but I hate the flights there and back. Granted, I’m not a good flyer, but it isn’t just a fear of flying; I hate the long hours in a tin tube with flaps on the side. Usually, when returning home, I land at 10:30pm (which is late for me). I’m exhausted and just ready to be home. But there is an aspect of the travel that I enjoy: seeing my wife wait for me when I walk out of the terminal. She is always there as I walk off the plane to welcome me home. As crazy as it may sound, seeing her welcoming smile is almost worth the 24 hour trip. 

As Jesus entered Jerusalem a week before His death, He was welcomed with shouts of praise and adulation by a crowd of people. Matthew 21:8-9 says, “Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’” Their enthusiasm boiled over into worship. “Hosanna” means “O save.” So technically they were exclaiming, “Lord, save us!” 

It is a bit surprising that none were proclaiming such flattery later in the week. This is diametrically opposed to the attitude the crowd would have just six days later.What happened? How can one crowd worship Him as the Messiah-King and another condemn Him as a fraud? We really can only speculate, but perhaps Jesus wasn’t what they expected. He wasn’t the Messiah they had longed for. He wasn’t the King they wanted. They wanted a conquering lion, but only saw a suffering lamb.

There have been millions that have tried to shape Jesus into something He is not. Strangely enough, many are welcoming of Jesus–as long as He plays by their rules. The moment He asserts His authority, they flee like scared dogs. We must welcome Jesus as He is, not as we want Him to be. He is the one who saves. Yet, He only saves those who come to Him on His terms. He only offers salvation to those who welcome Him with open arms.  

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Prayer: Lord, you are Lord of Lords and King of Kings. You are the Savior of the world. You came to free the captives from their sin. And all who welcome you with open arms find you welcoming them with a smile. Give me the grace to always welcome you in my heart–to welcome you as you are, not as my sinful flesh wants you to be.