Friday 11 August 2017

Psalm: Psalm 55:1-8

Background

This is the Palm Sunday story: Jesus riding into Jerusalem on adonkey while multitudes cheer him on, waving palm branches as theydo so (verses 12-15).  

It is interesting to note that although Jesus had that specialgroup of 12 disciples, the real reason for the increase in numberscoming out to see him this time round was that people who hadwitnessed him raising Lazarus from the dead had not stopped talkingabout him (verses 17-18). At the end of the day, no matter how manyfamous or prominent Christian leaders there are, people are morelikely to respond to the gospel message when they hear it - or seeit in action - from regular folk whom they know well.

The disciples don't come off too well in this passage. Eventhough they have spent time with Jesus and heard him speak over andover, they did not fully understand the significance of what wasgoing on around them until much later (verse 16).

The Pharisees, meanwhile, were becoming more incensed by Jesus'increasing popularity, and more entrenched in their belief that hemust be stopped (verse 19).

To Ponder

• Have you ever been involved in a historic event? If so, how didit feel being part of something special?

• Why do you think it took the disciples so long to understandthe things that were happening?