The Journey Begins — 03/25/2024

Broadcast

                      The Journey Begins - Part 1
                             Zechariah 9:9
                              03/25/2024


        9    Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout aloud,
             O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is
             coming to you; righteous and having salvation is
             he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the
             foal of a donkey.  (ESV)

        This week commemorates the turning point in history, the
   fulfilling of God's promises.  Yesterday began Holy Week, the
   week when the Church remembers the actions of Jesus on the days
   leading to His crucifixion, death, and resurrection.  This week
   is the most important week in the Church Year, for this week
   marks our redemption from sin, death, and the power of the devil.

        The journey to the cross began, not in a Bethlehem stable,
   but with a deceiving serpent.  As Eve accepted the lie that
   knowing good and evil would be a blessing, as Adam looked on, the
   world was cursed.

        For Jesus, the final stages of the journey began as He
   entered Jerusalem as foretold by the prophet Zechariah over five
   hundred years before.
        Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout aloud, O
        daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to
        you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and
        mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.


        On the Sunday of Holy Week, the crowds began the journey
   from Bethany to Jerusalem carrying palm branches, placing their
   cloaks on the road, and paying homage to Jesus as the Son of
   David.  Their cry, ``Hosanna,'' was a prayer for God's salvation.
   Their prayer would be answered, once and for all time and for all
   people, within a few short days.  Our journey to the cross begins
   with the humble Jesus riding on a donkey.  Behold, your king is
   coming to you, a king who will reign forever.

        May our Lord richly bless you this week with the sure and
   certain knowledge that Jesus entered Jerusalem to bear your sins,
   and to give to you everlasting life.  Amen.