Who is this King? (Palm Sunday)
Devotions this week are based on Week 6 Temptation to Triumph: Tension: King or Criminal? (WATCH HERE)
21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to the Daughter of Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the city was stirred. The crowds shouted “Hosanna” and laid down branches, yet at the same time asked, “Who is this?” There were people close to Jesus, celebrating Him, even participating in something significant, yet still uncertain about who He truly was.
Jesus wanted people to know truly who he was. He did not enter Jerusalem accidentally. Every detail was intentional. He sent His disciples ahead for a donkey, fulfilling the words of Zechariah that the King would come gentle and riding on a colt. He did not come as a display of power as the world understands it. There were no war horses, no armies, no force. Instead, there was humility. The King came not to take lives, but to give His.
The crowd recognized something. They called Him the Son of David, a title connected to the promised Messiah. They shouted for salvation. Yet their understanding was incomplete. Many saw a prophet. Others hoped for a political deliverer. Few truly recognized that He was the Savior of their souls.
The question still stands today. Who is this? Not just historically or theologically, but personally. We might carry similar thoughts to Palm Sunday procession people. Is Jesus just a good teacher that gives moral guidance? Is Jesus a political hero that can straighten out the country if he or his followers get elected? Is Jesus a popular fad to follow when it seems the “in” thing to do. Or is your Savior, your King?
Holy Week will unfold. Jesus does not force recognition. He reveals Himself to us in unexpected, yet profound ways. His purpose was clear. He entered Jerusalem to go to the cross. He comes to us through His Word to clarify who he is. He comes humbly to serve with a heart for you, to be your Savior from sin.
Reflect: Who is Jesus to me right now? Where might I be near Jesus but not fully understanding who he is?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see You clearly. Help me not just to know about You, but to truly know You as my King. Remove confusion and draw me into deeper relationship to you. Amen.
When Tears Deepen Our Trust
Devotions this week are based on Week 5 Temptation to Triumph: Tears: Hope for the Hurting (WATCH HERE)
John 11:41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.
The raising of Lazarus is not just about restoring life. Jesus makes it clear that this moment is meant to lead people to believe. His focus is not only on changing the situation, but on creating and strengthening faith.
The situation was hard. Lazarus was dead. Yet, Jesus invites all to believe. He says that if they believe, they will see the glory of God. This is the invitation. Trust first, then see. Faith often comes before understanding. We do not wait until everything makes sense to trust God. We trust Him in the middle of uncertainty.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
In our lives, it is easy to focus on what we see. We often ask God to fix our circumstances. We want relief. We want resolution. But God is often doing something deeper. He is using the situation to shape our hearts, strengthen our faith, and draw us closer to Him.
This changes how we view our struggles. Instead of seeing them only as obstacles, we begin to see them as opportunities for growth. God is not only concerned with what we go through, but with who we are becoming.
Walking by faith means choosing to trust God even when the outcome is unclear. It means taking small steps of faith, believing that He is at work. It also means encouraging others in their journey, reminding them that God is shaping something meaningful in their lives.
After seeing Jesus’ miracle, many believed. They came with tears to mourn the loss of Lazarus, but the tears didn’t end in sadness, they led to trust. They transformed. They led to a deeper trust in a faithful God. I pray they do the same for us!
Reflect: How might God be using your current struggles to shape your faith? What is one step of trust you can take this week?
Prayer: Father, thank You for using even difficult moments to grow my faith. Help me to trust You more deeply and to believe that You are working for my good. Strengthen my heart to follow You with confidence and hope. Amen.
When Tears Convince Us Jesus Is Greater Than Final
Devotions this week are based on Week 5 Temptation to Triumph: Tears: Hope for the Hurting (WATCH HERE)
John 11:32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Standing at the tomb, everything appears final. Lazarus has been dead for four days. The stone is sealed. The outcome seems certain. Yet Jesus speaks a command that changes everything. Lazarus, come out.
In that moment, death is not final. It is subject to the authority of Jesus. Revelation 1:17-18 declares, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” What seems ultimate to us is not ultimate to Him.
Martha hesitates when Jesus tells them to remove the stone. Her response is practical. There will be a smell. This is the reality of death. Yet Jesus invites her to trust beyond what she can see. He reminds her that belief will lead to seeing the glory of God.
This is where tears begin to convince us. We start to realize that Jesus is greater than our circumstances. He is not limited by what we consider final. His power extends beyond the boundaries we place on our situation.
In our lives, we often face moments that feel final. A relationship ends, a dream dies, a diagnosis changes everything. It is easy to believe that nothing more can be done. But Jesus reminds us that He has the final word.
Jesus invites us to shift our perspective. Instead of defining our situation by what we see, we begin to define it by who Jesus is. We trust that He is able to bring life even where there seems to be none.
This does not always mean immediate change, but it does mean that hope is never lost. Jesus is always working, even in the most final situations.
Reflect: What situation in your life feels final right now? How does knowing Jesus has authority over all things change your perspective?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are greater than anything I face. Help me to trust that what feels final is not beyond Your power. Strengthen my faith to believe in Your authority and Your ability to bring life where there is none. Amen.
When Tears Connect Us!
Devotions this week are based on Week 5 Temptation to Triumph: Tears: Hope for the Hurting (WATCH HERE)
John 11:21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
When Jesus finally arrives, Martha and Mary both say the same words. If you had been here, my brother would not have died. These words carry both faith and pain. They are honest, raw, and unfiltered.
Jesus does not rebuke them for their honesty. Instead, He engages them. He speaks truth to Martha, declaring that He is the resurrection and the life. He invites her to believe. With Mary, He responds differently. He sees her weeping and is deeply moved. Then comes the shortest and one of the most powerful verses in Scripture. Jesus wept.
This moment reveals the heart of Jesus. He is not distant from our pain. He enters into it. Isaiah 53 describes Him as a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. He does not observe our grief from afar. He shares it.
Psalm 62 invites us to pour out our hearts to God. This is what Mary and Martha do. They bring their full selves to Jesus, and in doing so, they encounter Him more deeply. Their tears become the place of connection.
In our lives, we often feel the need to present a composed version of ourselves to God. We filter our emotions, thinking that faith means having it all together. But real faith is not about hiding our struggles. It is about bringing them honestly to Jesus.
Learn to bring your true emotions to God. Tell Him what you feel. Express your grief, your questions, and even your disappointment. Trust that He welcomes you in that place.
It also means being present with others in their pain. Just as Jesus wept, we are called to sit with those who are hurting. Sometimes the most powerful ministry is simply being there.
Tears connect us to Jesus in a way that nothing else can. In our weakness, we discover His presence.
Reflect: What emotions do you need to bring honestly to Jesus today? How can you be present with someone else who is hurting this week?
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for meeting me in my pain. Thank You that I do not have to hide my struggles from You. Help me to be honest with You and to trust that You care deeply. Teach me also to care for others as You do. Amen.
When God’s Purpose Feels Hidden
Devotions this week are based on Week 5 Temptation to Triumph: Tears: Hope for the Hurting (WATCH HERE)
John 11:17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
As the story of Lazarus unfolds, the confusion deepens into grief. By the time Jesus arrives, Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. Whatever hope Mary and Martha held for healing has passed. What remains is loss.
Jesus had already said that this situation was for God’s glory, but no one else could see that yet. From their perspective, it simply looked like tragedy. This is often where we live. We hear truths about God’s goodness, but our circumstances seem to tell a different story.
Isaiah 55 reminds us that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
This does not mean they are distant, but that they are greater. God sees what we cannot. He is working in ways that are often hidden in the moment but revealed over time.
Martha’s words to Jesus reveal both faith and struggle. She believes Jesus could have done something, yet she cannot see what He is doing now. This tension is familiar. We believe God is able, but we struggle to see His purpose when things do not unfold as we expected.
Romans 8:28 assures us that God works all things together for good for those who love Him. This does not mean all things are good, but that God is able to bring good through them. Even in grief, God is at work shaping something eternal.
Jesus today invites us to trust God’s purpose even when it is hidden. This does not remove the pain, but it reframes it. Instead of asking only why this is happening, we begin to ask how God might be working through it. We look for glimpses of His faithfulness and hold onto His promises.
Martha held on to the promise that her brother would rise on the last day. She trusted Jesus would do what was best. She, in that moment, didn’t know how Jesus would, but leaned into the truth that even in the death of her brother, she was truly loved. The same is true for your today.
Reflect: Where do you feel like God’s purpose is hidden in your current situation? What promises of God can you hold onto when you cannot see what He is doing?
Prayer: Father, I struggle when I cannot see Your purpose. Help me to trust that You are working even when it feels hidden. Give me faith to believe that You are good and that You are shaping something beyond what I can see. Help me to rest in Your greater plan. Amen.