FADING GLORY
Through the events of Palm
Sunday we can learn things we need to learn, things that allowed
Jesus to go through the experience of that day and the following
week of suffering. If you’re going to survive this shifting
world, the first lesson that you need to learn is: It is
necessary to understand who you are. Zechariah prophesied:
“Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion Shout, Daughter of
Jerusalem See, your king comes to you, righteous and having
salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of
a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). Jesus fulfilled this prophecy -
hosanna was a Hebrew expression meaning, “Save us, we pray ” -
hopes were high that Jesus would be the hero who would save
Israel from their oppressors. And when He didn’t do that, they
turned on Him with a vengeance. The world will always welcome a
military deliverer, but they do expect him to deliver. Jesus had
the proper perspective on the praise of the people because He
knew exactly who He was. He was not dependent on them for His
identity. He was the Son of God and He had been given a mission.
So whether they praised Him or hated Him, it didn’t matter - He
was secure within Himself.
That isn’t where our
culture is. Fame and praise is very important. I’m always amazed
at what people will do if you give them the hope of winning
money and promise to put them on TV. There’s nothing they won’t
eat. There’s nothing they won’t sing - even if they can’t carry
a tune. There’s no race they won’t run. There’s no business
venture they won’t try - even if they hear: “You are fired.”
There’s no discomfort they won’t tolerate. There’s no danger
they won’t attempt. And there’s no humiliation they won’t
endure. So hungry are they for five minutes of fame that they
don’t care how degrading the experience is. We call it “reality”
TV, and it’s the reality of our culture. Jesus didn’t need the
approval and praise of the world. And neither do you. You know
who you are. You are a child of God. Your life has worth because
of Him - whether anyone recognizes that or not. Your
relationship with God has helped you to see that He’s not only
your Creator, He’s your loving heavenly Father. You have
security because you are secure in Him. You were made in the
image of God (Genesis 1:27). You have a future, for the Lord has
said, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the
Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11). And you’re a temple of
the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). That’s who you are, and
when you realize that, you also realize you don’t need the world
to give you its stamp of approval. You have been accepted by the
most important Person in the universe. On the other hand, if you
don’t know who you are, if you don’t realize your value to God,
then you’re goingto run the gauntlet trying to get the world’s
approval. You will undergo an extreme makeover of who you are.
And in the end, the world will spit you out bruised and
bleeding. One day they will love you, and the next they will
hate you.
But you not only need to
understand who you are, the second lesson you must learn is:
It is necessary to understand life. If you try to understand
only with your mind and forget your heart, you will miss out on
the most fundamental understanding of life in all its reality.
You must use your mind, but you must also use faith. You must
understand your purpose in this life. If Jesus did not
understand His purpose He would have been tempted to fulfill the
purposes that everyone else had for Him and missed God’s
purpose.
Finding and understanding
your life’s purpose is a very powerful thing. “What is the
purpose of your life?” I believe you can only understand God’s
purpose for you when you understand God’s purpose for the world
and life itself. God created life so that there would be people
He could have a relationship with - and you are one of those
people. Our purpose is to know Him, love Him and live for Him.
Once you understand who you
are and what life is about, there is one more thing you need
to understand: It is necessary to understand what is
important. A lot of people understand the first two truths -
that we’re the creation of God and that He loves us - that life
was meant to be lived in a relationship with God, but somehow
it never gets down into their daily life. They are brainwashed
by the world and its values, even though they consider
themselves to be Christian. There is a disconnect between their
Christian beliefs and the things they consider really important.
The rich young ruler wanted to follow Jesus, but he wasn’t
willing to give up what he thought was important in life. Making
and keeping money was more important than anything else, in the
end, more important than following Jesus.
What’s important in life
for you? Are things and appearances just a little too important?
Do you do things that are not right just to please other people
or have them think well of you? Are you overly concerned with
how you look? Do you compromise morally or spiritually in order
to fit in with others? Have you allowed others to force you to
do things you knew were wrong because you were afraid to stand
up to them? Have you been afraid to admit you’re a Christian
because you were concerned about what other people would think
of you? This is the same spirit that overcame those who one day
were shouting “Hosanna,” and the next day were shouting “Crucify
Him”! They went along with the crowd. They fit in. They were
afraid to stand alone and go against what everyone else was
doing. They lost sight of what was really important. The same
thing might be happening to you. If so, you need to discover
again what is important. You need to realign your priorities.
You need to determine that you will do the right thing no matter
what the cost, and even if everyone else is doing the wrong
thing. You need to determine that you will follow God no matter
who opposes you. As Paul said, “We make it our goal to please
Him” (2 Corinthians 5:9).
Not everyone will have the courage that it takes to truly follow
Christ. They will fold under pressure and please people rather
than God. They will give in and give up. That’s why Jesus said,
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad
is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through
it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to
life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). Determine
today, that by the grace and power of God you will be one of the
few. You will stand up. You will speak up and not shut up. You
will shout “Hosanna” even though everyone else is shouting
“Crucify Him!”
Upward bond,
Coach Street
To be a Christian is to be a loyal and faithful
subject of the King of kings!
