“TWO HEARTS” AND THE PALM SUNDAY

Today is the Palm Sunday, when our LORD Jesus entered Jerusalem amidst the shouts of praises of the multitudes. What we celebrate as the triumphal entry of the LORD Jesus, is not the same for the multitude of Jews who were shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David!” and “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!” Though we shout the same words, sadly, the intent and the meaning of those shouts are worlds apart. For us, the Christians, we are celebrating the King of kings and the LORD of lords. For the Jews, they were celebrating the promised Messiah, the political “King” who would deliver the nation of Israel, the Chosen People of God, from the bondage of Roman rule, and establish the eternal Jewish reign over all the earth.
– “Jewish expectations of the Messiah in the time of Jesus focused on the coming of a conquering king…Jesus’ non-resistance contradicted their expectations of Messiah and convinced them that He was not the one promised in the Old Testament.” – Les Crawford

We see here a serious contradiction in the understanding and interpretation of the prophecies about the coming Messiah. The apostles, the early Christians, and the Church ever since, accepts Jesus as the promised Redeemer. Jews have summarily rejected Jesus, and have counted Him as an evil fraud of the worst kind.
– “The Talmudic references often believed to refer to Jesus (sometimes called “Yeshu” or “Ben Stada”) generally portray him negatively, contrasting with Christian beliefs. He is often described as a sorcerer who led Jews astray, a false messiah, a student who practiced idolatry, and a bastard born of an adulterous relationship.” – Gemini AI Overview

Herein we see the two sets of hearts. God with all His heart loved the whole world, and came to die for the whole world, as a sacrificial Lamb of God, the promised Redeemer of the Old Testament. While the heart of man, as reflected in the hearts of the Jews and their religious leadership. One was filled with love for the lost. The other is filled with nothing but hate for the Redeemer, sent by the LORD God Almighty, as was promised in the Scriptures. One chose to die for the lost; while the other chose a murderer to be released, in Barabbas. What a tragedy and what a pity.
– “Initially, some of their expectations [about the promised Messiah] seemed to match His activity. Jesus was a miracle worker, possessing authority over demons, disease, and even death. Jesus was a teacher of extraordinary wisdom and insight. Jesus focused on the nation of Israel and seemed to offer a better future. The general populace heralded Him as their Messiah as He entered Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; John 12:12–19), but this was short-lived. A small band of followers genuinely recognized Him as the Messiah, but even they expected a conquering king who would vanquish the Romans and were shocked when Jesus was crucified, fearing for their own lives (John 20:19).” – Les Crawford

What kind of expectations are we having this morning about the LORD Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, slain for the redemption of the lost? Do we have right expectations and a proper understanding about the LORD Jesus? Are we, like the Jews, have erroneous expectations and misplaced emphasis on how the Messiah should be? 
– Are we expecting Jesus to be a miracle worker in our lives?
– Are we expecting Jesus to be the provider who would meet all our needs and wants? 
– Are we expecting Jesus to be our string defender who would defeat all our enemies? 
Inherently Jesus is all this and much more. He is our Healer, Provider and Defender. However, He has not come primarily for this, and certainly not for only this purpose. The purpose of the Messiah is to be the sinless sacrificial Lamb of God, who would, by His offering of Himself, brings about our redemption. This is the reason why Jesus said, “He came to seek and save the lost.”

Let us correct our erroneous ideas, thoughts and interpretations about the Messiah. Let us align our hearts and our minds in line with the purposes of God. All who belong to the LORD will believe, think, speak and do things the way our LORD desires. Even so the LORD help us.