The Lord does nothing without revealing it prophetically first. Hundreds of years before Jesus entered into Jerusalem, the prophet Zechariah prophesied He would enter the city riding on a donkey. The odds of Jesus even fulfilling one of the prophecies made about Him are very long. It was mathematically determined that just the chances of the Messiah being born in Bethlehem, as prophesied, was 1 in 300,000. The odds of Him fulfilling 48 of the prophecies is 1 x 10157 . There are 456 total Old Testament prophecies that Jesus fulfilled. We can be assured He will fulfill prophecies about His return as well!
When Jesus entered into Jerusalem there were two groups of people He encountered. One cried out “Hosannah!” – or “Lord save us now!” These people didn’t fully understand what He was doing. They expected Him to expel the Romans from the country and re-establish the earthly kingdom of Israel. Later that week, He would encounter a group screaming “Crucify Him!” They asked Pilate to release Barabbas, a thief and murderer. When Jesus was crucified, the soldiers nailed Him to the cross through His feet and His hands. By putting nails in His feet, Jesus was immobilized – He was no longer able to going around and preaching the good news. By putting nails in His hands, He was unable to go and lay hands on the sick and bring deliverance. The devil wishes to do the same to us – keep our hands and feet nailed down and thus keep us immobilized and without power.
We’re called to continue and finish the work Jesus began. We are called to love people, to reach out to them with compassion and bring them life. Are we doing what we are called to do, or are we nailed to the cross ourselves? Ultimately, it cost Jesus His life here on earth – that’s what it will cost us. We may not be physically crucified the way Jesus was, but we will need to put aside our own concerns, wants and needs to finish the work Jesus began.
Key Scriptures: Zechariah 9:9
