Devotions this week are based on Week 6 Temptation to Triumph: Tension: King or Criminal? (WATCH HERE)
Matthew 21:8-9 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 heaven!”
As the crowds cried out “Hosanna,” they were asking for salvation. Yet their understanding of salvation was shaped by their circumstances. They wanted freedom from Rome, relief from oppression, and restoration of their nation. Their desire was not wrong, but it was incomplete.
Jesus came for something deeper. He came to save from sin.
Even after the crucifixion, the disciples expressed their disappointment. They had hoped Jesus would redeem Israel. Luke 24:21 “…but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” Their hope was real, but their understanding was limited. They were looking for external rescue, while Jesus was accomplishing eternal redemption.
Jesus Himself made His mission clear. He came to seek and to save the lost, not the politically oppressed, but the spiritually lost. Not just those suffering outwardly, but those separated from God.
Sometimes we can be looking for the wrong salvation from Jesus. Financial struggles? Hosanna! Save us! Relationship challenges? Hosanna! Save us! Family difficulties? Hosanna! Save us! Political problems? Hosanna! Save us! The list can go on of situations in our life where we want deliverance and relief. We want the situation to change, because the current one is uncomfortable and difficult. Of course, it is natural to bring our needs and struggles to God. He cares about them. But if salvation from our situation is all we seek, we miss the greater gift. Sin separating us from God? Hosanna! Save us! THIS is the main work of salvation Jesus came to deliver!
Salvation is not primarily about changing our circumstances. It is about changing our standing before God. Salvation is God’s gift of forgiveness, restoration, and new life.
We must start with this salvation. Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem was to take care of our biggest problem, our problem of sin. Once the solution for sin is secured, everything else finds its place. Circumstances may still be difficult, but we are no longer lost. Situations may be challenging, but we are no longer separated from God, rather we are secure in Him! Hosanna!
Reflect: Am I primarily seeking Jesus to fix my situation or to save my soul? How has His salvation changed the way I view my current struggles?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for coming to save me from my sin. Help me not to reduce Your work to my circumstances, but to trust in the full salvation You have given. Amen.