Holy Week is on the horizon. Palm Sunday is just days away. Let’s take a closer look at one small, often overlooked detail from the Palm Sunday account. As Jesus and his disciples walked toward Jerusalem, Jesus sent two disciples on ahead to the next little village, where they would find the young donkey (and its mother) that he would ride. “Untie them and bring them to me.” (Matthew 21:2) Jesus is thinking fulfillment of prophecy. The disciples are thinking, “We can’t just take someone else’s animal and walk away with it. Isn’t that against one of the commandments?”
Jesus has it covered. “If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” (Matthew 21:3) You know this story so well, the facts are so familiar and so deeply ingrained that you go, Yep, uh huh, I know the story. But pause just for a moment here. Jesus calls himself “Lord,” namely, God. Jews would have heard this as blasphemous, and often accused Jesus of this. The Romans would have heard this as treasonous, because they would have said, “Caesar is lord.” And Jesus is saying, “No, I’m Lord. I am in authority over everyone and everything that has ever lived upon the earth or will ever live upon the earth.”
They went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do and things happened exactly as Jesus said they would. Now I wouldn’t recommend going to Best Buy and saying, “I’m going to take a couple of 80 inch flat screen TVs off your hands – the Lord needs them.” I wouldn’t recommend this approach at your local car dealership. But if the Lord Jesus came to you and told you to do this, you could. Why?
Because he is our all-knowing Lord. He knows everything – how many hairs are left on your head (likely, fewer than when you began reading this), the exact location of that receipt you can’t find in order to finish your taxes, who will win the election in 2024. He knows how our economy will respond to the pressures that assail it. And he knew precisely where and how his two disciples would find that colt. This may not seem like a big deal but this Almighty Lord Jesus can do anything he wants – change water into wine, heal the sick, raise the dead.
The implications of this for us personally are tremendous. Even though we can’t see around the next bend of life, we can’t anticipate the next curve ball life will toss our way, we have no clue what will happen to us a day/week/month/year/10 years from now—Jesus does and says, “Don’t sweat it. Don’t worry. I am with you. I will never leave you or forsake you.” Job loss, health crisis, family emergency – Jesus says, “I see what’s coming. I will be there with you. I will be there for you. I will see you through.”
Jesus knows. In Revelation 2 & 3, Jesus makes several statements in which he tells us what he knows about us:
In Psalm 139:1, David offers this simple, comforting assessment: “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.” Psalm 121:8 offer this comfort: “The Lord will watch over your going and your coming from now to eternity.”
In these uncertain, often frightening times, may this timeless truth calm anxiety and fear: Jesus knows. He knows me! He knows you! And he continues to watch over us and work all things out for our eternal good.
Grateful for grace,
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand
Jesus has it covered. “If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” (Matthew 21:3) You know this story so well, the facts are so familiar and so deeply ingrained that you go, Yep, uh huh, I know the story. But pause just for a moment here. Jesus calls himself “Lord,” namely, God. Jews would have heard this as blasphemous, and often accused Jesus of this. The Romans would have heard this as treasonous, because they would have said, “Caesar is lord.” And Jesus is saying, “No, I’m Lord. I am in authority over everyone and everything that has ever lived upon the earth or will ever live upon the earth.”
They went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do and things happened exactly as Jesus said they would. Now I wouldn’t recommend going to Best Buy and saying, “I’m going to take a couple of 80 inch flat screen TVs off your hands – the Lord needs them.” I wouldn’t recommend this approach at your local car dealership. But if the Lord Jesus came to you and told you to do this, you could. Why?
Because he is our all-knowing Lord. He knows everything – how many hairs are left on your head (likely, fewer than when you began reading this), the exact location of that receipt you can’t find in order to finish your taxes, who will win the election in 2024. He knows how our economy will respond to the pressures that assail it. And he knew precisely where and how his two disciples would find that colt. This may not seem like a big deal but this Almighty Lord Jesus can do anything he wants – change water into wine, heal the sick, raise the dead.
The implications of this for us personally are tremendous. Even though we can’t see around the next bend of life, we can’t anticipate the next curve ball life will toss our way, we have no clue what will happen to us a day/week/month/year/10 years from now—Jesus does and says, “Don’t sweat it. Don’t worry. I am with you. I will never leave you or forsake you.” Job loss, health crisis, family emergency – Jesus says, “I see what’s coming. I will be there with you. I will be there for you. I will see you through.”
Jesus knows. In Revelation 2 & 3, Jesus makes several statements in which he tells us what he knows about us:
- “I know your afflictions” (2:9
- “I know where you live” (2:13)
- I know your deeds, your love and faith” (2:19)
In Psalm 139:1, David offers this simple, comforting assessment: “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.” Psalm 121:8 offer this comfort: “The Lord will watch over your going and your coming from now to eternity.”
In these uncertain, often frightening times, may this timeless truth calm anxiety and fear: Jesus knows. He knows me! He knows you! And he continues to watch over us and work all things out for our eternal good.
Grateful for grace,
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand
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