It's going to get considerably worse before it gets
better. Can you imagine the pastor of
your church coming in and saying on behalf of the Lord, "I will gather all
the nations against (your town) to battle, and the city shall be taken and the
houses plundered and the women raped."
How could you possibly believe that the next thing he told you was don't
worry about it because after this happens the Lord will come, separate the
mountains nearby, create a valley of shelter and protection for you and then
fight on your behalf? Can't we have that
second thing without the first? He has
always been clear that judgment begins at the house of the Lord. We tend to overlook that though believing
that the world will be judged and we will be left alone. Because we have been given so much, entrusted
with the knowledge of God, we are responsible above all others on earth to
Him. The world, while without excuse
(see Romans 1), will witness the judgment of the people of God, as a witness,
that they might fear Him before it is too late.
Jesus' entry to the city would have been accompanied by a
great number of pilgrims coming for Passover, an obligation for Jews. The streets of the city would have been
packed, there were more people than places to stay, just like in Bethlehem at the
time of Jesus' birth. Jesus and the
disciples stayed each night at the mount of Olives, camping out there because
there was no place for them to stay in the city proper, so great was the
multitude gathered there, even the one acclaimed as the Son of David had no
room. The city burst forth into
acclamation and longing for salvation, Hosanna, Lord save us. The Pharisees were concerned that the Romans
might step in and take away the right to gather and practice their religion and
asked Jesus to make them stop. His response
was that this had to happen, it was God's plan, if these didn't cry out, the stones
would do so. Salvation is here for the
taking but they see it as something problematic, it must be stopped.
How did Jesus become a servant to the circumcised "to
show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the
patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy"? He said that He was sent to the lost sheep of
Israel and not to the nations. He was
the fulfillment of the promises given to the patriarchs, the fulfillment of the
promise to David of a son who would sit on His throne forever. He was the fulfillment of the prophetic word
and in this He proved the truthfulness of God, that His Word and His promises
were sure. How, though, is this in order
that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy? The rejection of Jesus as Messiah to the Jews
opened the door to the Gentiles to receive mercy, it is our exodus as theirs
was in the time of Moses. It is not God
who has rejected Israel but they who have rejected Him and His
deliverance. The door remains open for
those who will enter.
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