2026 Lenten Season - Day 38 - The Passover Lamb

We continue the tradition of 40 days of Lent-related devotionals (46 counting the Sundays).
Sharing "Journey to the Cross" by Paul David Tripp.
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Our hope is found in the fact that Jesus came to be the final Passover Lamb, not just a great teacher and a miracle healer.

Luke 22:14 –23
And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Likewise, the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

If there had been no upper room, if there had been no fulfillment of the promises of the Passover, and if Jesus were not the final Passover Lamb, we would simply have no hope in this life or the one to come.  It is impossible to overstate the importance of Jesus saying these profound words: “This is my body, which is given for you,” and “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”  Here is Jesus, in that intimate final night with his disciples, saying, “I am the hope of fallen humanity,  because I am the promised, spotless Lamb of God.”

Just as the blood painted on the Israelites’ doors in Egypt meant that the angel of death would pass over those houses, so all who put their trust in the Messiah Jesus are covered by his blood and therefore will not bear the punishment for their own sin. It’s not enough that Jesus was a great teacher. If all he had done were teach truth, but had not shed his blood as the fulfillment of all the truth teaches us about sin and redemption, then we would be damned. If all Jesus had done were perform physical healings, then we would still be the spiritual walking dead. If all he had done was confront the false religion of the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees, but had not gone on to be the sacrificial Lamb that true religion requires, then we would be doomed. If all he had done was send his disciples out with a theological message, but had not been the historical, physical covering, by his shed blood, which that theological message requires, then we would be without hope and without God, sinners alone in this fallen world.

But he is the Passover Lamb. He is the fulfillment of the covenant promises of old. His blood covers and cleanses us. All human history marched to this moment in the upper room and the sacrifice of Jesus’s life that would follow.

Whenever I read the account of the incredible moment in that rented room and hear Jesus talk of his blood that was about to be poured out, a hymn always comes to mind. Its words are near and dear to my heart. It was written in 1876 by Robert Lowry, who was a pastor in Philadelphia, the city where I live.

“Nothing but the Blood of Jesus”

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain:
Oh, precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow;
no other fount I know,
nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my cleansing, this I see—
nothing but the blood of Jesus!
For my pardon this my plea—
nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Nothing can for sin atone—
nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Naught of good that I have done—
nothing but the blood of Jesus!

This is all my hope and peace—
nothing but the blood of Jesus!
This is all my righteousness—
nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Now by this I’ll overcome—
nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Glory! Glory! This I sing—
nothing but the blood of Jesus!
All my praise for this I bring—
nothing but the blood of Jesus!

May you attach your sense of self, your meaning and purpose, your moral compass, and your hopes and dreams to the message delivered in that upper room and to the actual moment of sacrifice on that hill  outside the city. And may every moment of sin, weakness, and failure be punctuated by you singing to yourself the ultimate answer to the ultimate question, What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

GOING DEEPER

Reflection Questions

1. What helps you enter into the true meaning of the Lord’s Table, Jesus’s blood and flesh for you?

2. In what ways are you trusting in something other than or in addition to Jesus’s blood to save you?

3. How might it affect your day-to-day life if you really, deeply understood the importance of Jesus as your Passover Lamb, the way the Jews in Jesus’s day did?

Read Matthew 26:17–30, and enter into the story.

17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”

18 “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.

20 When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table[a] with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”

22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”

23 He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”

25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”
And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”

26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”

27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant[b] between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”

30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

2026 Lenten Season - Day 37 - What's at the Center

We continue the tradition of 40 days of Lent-related devotionals (46 counting the Sundays).
Sharing "Journey to the Cross" by Paul David Tripp.
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It should be a warning to us that the religious leaders of Jesus’s day could be so zealous and yet so completely wrong.

It is striking to note that Jesus spent much of the time between his entry into Jerusalem and his betrayal and death confronting the religious leaders of his day. These leaders were trained, committed, active, and religious in every way, but they had distorted the faith that had been passed down to them and were unable to recognize that Jesus of Nazareth was, in fact, the promised Messiah of their hopes and longings.

Jesus knows he is on the way to his ultimate redemptive destination, Golgotha, and there is little for him to lose. So, with words sharper and more critical than ever before, he picks away at the very heart of the error of the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. In the stinging words of criticism, there is a gracious warning for us.

In the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees, we see false religion masquerading as true religion. The humility of true religion has been replaced by religious pride. The grace of true religion has been replaced by legalism. The purity of heart found in true religion has been replaced by hypocrisy. The love of true religion languishes as the victim of all of the above. Jesus will not go to the cross without pointing out that what these religious leaders live and promote is the exact opposite of what he came to teach, to live, and to die for.

It is a loving and always appropriate warning to us that it is possible for you to be fully convinced that you are in the center of what is right and true and honoring to God, when actually you are in the way of it. Hypocrisy still lives. Graceless legalism still lives. Self-righteousness still lives. It is still easier to criticize than to patiently love, and to make demands than to serve. Where do these things still live? It is not enough to say that they still live in our churches. We must also humbly confess that artifacts of all of these things still remain in our hearts. The stinging critique of the religious leaders was not just for them; it has been recorded and preserved for us, so that we would not fall into the same errors.

Here is what is dangerous about false religion: it does a good job of masquerading as the real thing, with its zeal, its commitment to the regular habits of faith (prayer, giving, participation in formal worship, etc.), and its theological knowledge. But there is an even greater danger. False religion does not need a Savior. False religion is rooted in human righteousness. Rather than being broken, needy, poor in spirit, crying out for divine rescue, it comforts itself in evidence of its own righteousness. Think of the parable Jesus told of the prayers of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18. The Pharisee essentially told God he didn’t need him, and he gave his good works as evidence of his independent righteousness, while the tax collector, overwhelmed with his sin, cried out for God’s mercy.

True religion accepts the worst news ever, and because it does, it runs to the best news ever. True religion doesn’t begin with a righteous résumé. It begins with the devastating acknowledgment of sin. True religion mourns corruption within, which cannot be defeated without divine intervention. True religion never has human righteousness at the center. No, it has the amazing grace of a self-sacrificing Savior at the center. Its hope is never in what we have done for God, but in what he has so lovingly done and continues to do for us. True religion never produces self-assured religious pride. It never produces independent self-confidence. It never causes you to look down on those less righteous than you. It does not produce soul-crushing legalism. In the soil of true religion, these grow: humility, love, gratitude, grace, peace, and dependency on God.

One of the central ironies of human history is that the religious leaders of Jesus’s day conspired to destroy the one who was their only hope in life and death. The One the Scriptures spoke of again and again (which they knew so well) was now in their presence, and they despised him and what he taught. While they wore their mask of righteousness, they sought to destroy the one who came to be our righteousness, wisdom, and redemption. On his journey to the cross, Jesus stops to expose a form of "godliness” that needs no cross.

Today, it is tempting for all of us to tell ourselves we are okay when we’re not okay. It is tempting for us to work to make ourselves feel good about what God says is not good at all. It is tempting for us to be unlovingly critical of those we perceive to be less righteous than we are. It is tempting to think we are spiritually mature because we are theologically knowledgeable. It is tempting to tolerate in ourselves actions and attitudes that we would condemn in others. It is tempting to see God as a means to an end, rather than the end that all of our hearts really long for. It is tempting to reduce our Christianity down to formal, public religious habits, a faith that lives most vibrantly for two hours on Sunday morning. On the way to the cross, Jesus exposes us to his condemnation of the religion of the Pharisees because there are still seeds of Phariseeism in all our hearts.

In this season of reflection, sacrifice, and gratitude, I want to give you an assignment. Take time to sit down with your Bible and carefully read Matthew 23. As you read how Jesus confronts the Pharisees, read with an open, humble, and prayerful heart. Allow those words of confrontation to expose and correct you, and as they do, may you grow ever more dependent upon and thankful for your Savior, who was willing to die to rescue you from the one thing you could never escape on your own: you.

GOING DEEPER

Reflection Questions
1. Contrast true religion and false religion. How can you spot them in your church? In yourself?

2. How have you seen or experienced this truth: “It is possible for you to be fully convinced that you are in the center of what is right and true and honoring to God, when actually you are in the way of it”?

3. What practical things can you do to recognize and repent of false religion and embrace truth in your heart?

Read Matthew 23, and ask the Lord to convict you where conviction is needed.

Matthew 23 New Living Translation

23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’

8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

13 “What sorrow awaits you, teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.

15 “What sorrow awaits you, teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!

16 “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’ 17 Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. 19 How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it. 21 And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. 22 And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne.

23 “What sorrow awaits you, teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. 24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!

25 “What sorrow awaits you, teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 You blind Pharisee! First, wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.

27 “What sorrow awaits you, teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly, you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “What sorrow awaits you, teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. 30 Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’

31 “But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started. 33 Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?

34 “Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city. 35 As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah, son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. 38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. 39 For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”

2026 Lenten Season - Day 36 - Holy Anger Then and Now

We continue the tradition of 40 days of Lent-related devotionals (46 counting the Sundays).
Sharing "Journey to the Cross" by Paul David Tripp.
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Scripture records the anger of Jesus in the temple to point to who he is and to clarify our values.

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
Matthew 21:12-13

How quickly the emotion of the drama of Jesus’s last journey changes! After the adoring crowds, the story takes a radical turn. This is another one of those messianic vignettes that we think we understand, but need to examine more closely. We see here the holy anger of Jesus more than at almost any other moment in his life. Do you know why he was so angry? Is it only about commerce in the temple?  Why does he call the sellers thieves? What is the zeal that consumed him in this moment? Why did he overturn those tables? What can we learn from our Savior’s holy anger? How can his zeal become our hope? These are the questions begging to be answered as we consider this moment in Jesus’s journey to the cross.

Jesus enters Jerusalem and takes no time to bask in the glory of the adoring crowds along the way. He knows he is on a mission of saving grace, and he knows how far that grace will extend. He knows that what is happening in the temple is not only a violation of his Father’s house, of promises made to  Abraham, but also of what he came to earth to accomplish. Without care for what people will think of him, he is driven by righteous values and holy anger to act on behalf of those unable to act for themselves.

Consider this meditation.

The temple highlighted your holy zeal;
what was there exposed your loving heart.
More than an institution,
more than a historic place,
more than a religious edifice,
more than a place of public worship—
it was your Father’s house.
Anger filled your heart—
holy, righteous, grace-infused wrath.
The place for the Gentiles now a house of commerce.
Sales tables replaced praying places.
Animal sounds replaced sounds of supplication.
This hallowed place, now a den of robbers.
Market thieves had stolen the Gentiles’ only place.
Sellers violated your covenant plan.
Merchants robbed your place of its glory.
This place of divine love, now a place of human greed.
No love for you.
No sympathy for the displaced.
No submission to your will.
No care for your saving plan.
Out of love for your Father, compassion for those excluded,
commitment to promises made to Abraham,
you overturned the plan of those who stained the Father’s house,
declaring the zeal of your heart, your holy mission, your eternal position.
This zeal, then and now, my hope.
Your anger, then and now, my security.
Your promises, then and now, my rest.
Your grace, then and now, my life.
For I know you will remain zealous, act in holy anger, and overturn the final table,
and I will dwell safe in your Father’s house forever.

GOING DEEPER
Reflection Questions

1. What was Jesus angry about? What were the moneychangers doing wrong?

2. What fills your heart with righteous anger? Where do you see modern-day moneychangers, and what are you called to do about it?

3. It’s easy to put ourselves on Jesus’s side here, but how might you be guilty of some of the same sins as the moneychangers?

Read Mark 11:15–19 and Luke 19:45– 48.

Jesus Clears the Temple

Mark 11:15-19  New Living Translation

15 When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16 and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. 

17 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”
18 When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.
19 That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city.

Luke 19:45-48  New Living Translation
45 Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. 46 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”
47 After that, he taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him. 48 But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every word he said.

Promise for Today - A Donkey’s Tale: The Gospel of Palm Sunday

written by Dr. Michael A. Milton

As we reflect on Palm Sunday, we are reminded of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The Scripture that refers to the Lord telling His disciples to get the donkey is found in Matthew 21:1-3:
"As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, 'Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.'"

Let’s hear about Palm Sunday from one who was there.
All the children waved palms and sang Hosanna. I could never forget! It was the high mark of my life. I know: I have heard the jokes that you've made. It is interesting that you never use the King James version except when you're talking about Baalom’s donkey (Numbers 22:28). Our kind knows all about the jokes. But it was no joke on that Sunday. Now, I can't talk like Balaam’s creature, but I have something more. I have a donkey's tale.

There are several things about that day that stand out to me. Every so often, I feel like I just want to rear back on my hind legs and bray at the beauty of those moments with the One called Immanuel. What do I remember? Well, they were at least three special moments that come to mind, and these memories may have something to say to you.

Firstly, Jesus chose me. I remember that the Galilean chose me to fulfill Scripture. I did not belong to the Galilean, but I belonged to a man from Jerusalem. But on that day, the Galilean sent his disciples and told my master that “the Lord hath need” of me. Do you know what that means? Do you know how it feels to be the bad end of a joke all the time? I don't have to do anything, and yet people immediately see me as stubborn and mean. Not Jesus. He did not choose me out of pity. He did not select me to be his supporter because of any other reason than this: in the secret councils of Almighty God, he set his love on me. If only I could have talked! Do you know how it feels when God chooses you despite your reputation? Yet, Jesus chose me.

Jesus used me. By saying that Jesus "used me," I don't mean that he took advantage of me. To the contrary! He gave me a part in the greatest story ever told. What do you think about that? Do you still want to call me stupid and mean and stubborn? I may be all of those things, but for one brief shining moment, I carried the King of kings and Lord of lords on my back. And I can never get over how God uses a simple little creature like me to bring about so great a salvation.

Others overlooked me. In the midst of all the hosannas and all the waving palms and palm branches thrown at my feet, I knew the cheering was not for me. I knew the palm branches did not form a veritable "red carpet" for the Prince of donkeys. No. I knew they were welcoming Jesus as the promised Messiah. But just as they overlooked me and my important part — the role that changed our species — in that great Palm Sunday story, many overlooked the Scriptures. For that glorious King who rode on my back was not a political figure. He was not riding into Jerusalem to overthrow Rome. He was riding into Jerusalem to go to the cross. And I can never forget that. The Scriptures declare that we creatures know more about God than some of you. Job 12:7-10 says: "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you, or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?"

So many misunderstood. But I knew why he chose me. I knew why he used me on that glorious day. And I could see what many overlooked. The King of kings and the Lord of lords came into Jerusalem as the Prince of peace. He was on his way to die for the sins of the world, to give his life as a substitutionary atonement for sin. He lived the perfect life so that whoever believes in him is covered in the righteousness of Jesus. And what did he get? He got our sins. He took our pain. But he gave us his life.

I'm just one of God's creatures. But on that special day, that Palm Sunday, my life and, indeed, my kind were changed forever.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Though I have made a donkey of myself numerous times in my life, I am now stepping away from the voice of that little creature on Palm Sunday. I want to say to you clearly: this little parable, based on true events is told to you that you may know God has placed his love on you despite your sin, your past, or even what other people might think of you. Secondly, like the little donkey, God has use for you. God calls us to use us for his kingdom's work. And finally, I want you to see that Palm Sunday is not only the beginning of the Holy Week, but if you repent and trust in Jesus Christ as the resurrected Lord of lords and King of kings in your life, it will be Easter morning forevermore.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

So, I encourage you, my human friends, to consider how God may be calling you and using you for his kingdom's work. Despite your past, your sin, or what others may think of you, God has placed his love on you and has a purpose for your life. And as we enter Holy Week, remember that Palm Sunday was just the beginning of the greatest story ever told.

2026 Lenten Season - Day 35 - The Humility in Majesty

We continue the tradition of 40 days of Lent-related devotionals (46 counting the Sundays).
Sharing "Journey to the Cross" by Paul David Tripp.
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The march of Jesus to the cross was a march of humility and triumph.

As we near the final days of the pre-resurrection life of Jesus, let’s think once more about a familiar passage of Scripture. It is popularly known as the “triumphal entry.” But the problem with familiar scenes is two-fold.

1. Because a passage is so familiar, we often think that we know more about it than we actually do.

2. Because a scene is familiar, we don’t give it the kind of attention we did when it was new to us, and this prevents us from learning more.

Let us consider Matthew 21:1–11, which records the final march of Jesus through Bethany and on to Jerusalem, and his death. 

[Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”]

This is perhaps one of the most layered passages in Scripture. So much more is happening than what appears on the surface. There is more going on than Jesus entering the final stage of his work on earth in humility and majesty. There is more going on than a multitude worshiping him as the Messiah King. Let me suggest some words that unpack this moment.

1. Fulfillment. 

In this moment, Jesus is very aware of who he is and what he has been called to do. He knows that he is the direct fulfillment of holy and ancient prophecies. He is acting not with random spontaneity, but with a careful sense of who he is and the detailed specifics of what he has been called to do. He is not caught up in the moment, but rather motivated by an ancient and sovereign plan that he would be in this moment, at this place, doing these specific things. His heart is not moved by popular acclaim but by the will of his Father. What he does and what he directs the disciples to do is done with a spirit of calling,
submission, and active obedience.

2. Humility. 

Jesus, riding on the colt of a donkey, is not playing to the crowd. He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords. He has come to sit on the throne of David to set up a kingdom that will have no end, yet this moment is not about him. It’s not about how much the crowd loves him. It’s not about how big the crowd is or how exuberant their celebration is. This moment is about one thing: the redemptive mission that was the reason for his birth, his righteous life, everything he taught, every miraculous act, his final trip to Jerusalem, his trial, his suffering, his death, and his resurrection. He did not come to collect followers who would deliver fame and power to him. He came to seek and to save the lost, and to do that, he had to be willing to humble himself, suffer, and die. The greatest man who ever lived was also the humblest man who ever lived.

3. Majesty. 

At the very same time, this moment in the life of Jesus is colored with glory and majesty. This is the King of kings. This is the promised Messiah. This is the Son of David. Here comes a conquering King. From that horrible moment of disobedience in the garden, humanity has cried for the coming of this King. He is coming to defeat what we could not defeat. He is coming to give what we could never earn. He is coming to reign forever and ever and, in his reign, to fix everything that sin has broken. He has not come to defeat physical kings and to set up an earthly kingdom. He will not bring down Rome and sit on Caesar’s throne. He will not deliver less than this, but infinitely more. He is coming to set up a global and eternal kingdom that will result in a new heaven and a new earth, where peace and righteousness will reign forever. In this moment, the King has come to take his rightful throne.

4. Misunderstanding. 

The crowd has no idea who Jesus actually is and what he has really come to do. They cry, “Hosanna” (which means, “Save us”), but the salvation they are looking for is temporal and political. They think the Messiah will set up an earthly kingdom that will break the back of Roman rule. This is why Jesus cannot be distracted by the adulatory desires of the crowd around him. He knows the hearts of people and how fickle they can be. Though on the road to Bethany he was heralded by cries of “Hosanna,” in a few days in Jerusalem, he will be cursed by a crowd of similar people, who will cry, “Crucify him.” The crowd speaks in fulfillment of prophecy, but they speak about things they don’t fully understand. Jesus came not to take momentary power, but to die in order to deliver eternal life. His crown would be made of thorns and his seat would be a cross. Soon the voices of the celebrants will be silenced and he will be reviled. This, too, will fulfill what the prophets had spoken.

5. Servanthood. 

As Jesus said of himself, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). He knew full well that the only pathway to his final kingship was death, and he was willing. He would not be diverted from the suffering that was his calling. He would do nothing less than give his life so that we would have life. Yes, he is the King, but he rode into Jerusalem to be the Lamb, that is, the final sacrifice for sin, and he did it with joy that was untainted by regret of any kind.

6. Eternity. 

The focus of the crowd is on the present, while the eyes and heart of the one on the colt are focused on eternity. He could have power now. He could call on angelic armies to preserve his life and to crush his enemies. He could exercise his power for his own escape, but he knows the result would be humanity’s eternal doom. With the forces now pressing in on him, he comes with forever in view. He comes to gift the walking dead with life that would never end, and nothing will stop him from completing his mission. This final ride of humility and triumph, on that borrowed colt, was a ride to the city of his death. Every aspect was done with the generations of souls who would put their trust in him in mind. He rode to his death so that we would reign in life with him forever. He did what he did so that, in a world made new again, we would sing Hosanna songs to him forever and ever and ever.

GOING DEEPER
Reflection Questions

1. At the triumphal entry, humility and majesty met in perfect harmony. What impact does this joining of two seeming opposites have in the life of a believer? Why does it matter to us that King Jesus was both humble and majestic?

2. The crowds cried “save us” but didn’t know what that really meant. In what ways do you try to ask Jesus to save on your terms?

3. The fickleness of the crowds is striking. In what ways do you cry “Hosanna” in one breath and “Crucify him!” in the next?

Reread Matthew 21:1–11, and try to put yourself in the scene—what do you see, smell, hear, and feel?

Matthew 21:1-11 New Living Translation
Jesus’ Triumphant Entry

21:1 As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”
4 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said, 5 “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.’”
6 The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.
8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,
“Praise God for the Son of David!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Praise God in highest heaven!”
10 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.
11 And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

2026 Lenten Season - Day 34 - For Us

We continue the tradition of 40 days of Lent-related devotionals (46 counting the Sundays).
Sharing "Journey to the Cross" by Paul David Tripp.
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Jesus’s life saw no defeat, so we could know victory.

In your weakest, most vulnerable, seemingly helpless, public-shame moment,

hanging on a rough-hewed cross between heaven and hell, nailed, bleeding, thirsty,

life ebbing out of you,

victim,

mocked and scorned,

you were a conquering King— not defeated, the Victor.

Seemingly defeated, you conquered sin, Satan, death.

Put to shame, you were putting to shame all who would shame you. 

Not cowering in fear, you were parading your sovereign glory,

unleashing your transforming grace, expediting your redemptive plan.

The darkest moment ever became the brightest moment ever.

The greatest defeat became the greatest victory.

The moment of death was a triumph of life.

You were where you came to be, doing what you came to do.

You did not surrender for a moment 

so that we could stand firm for a lifetime.

You did not give into defeat so that we would experience victory.

Everything you suffered was for us.

Every battle fought was fought for us.

Every victory won was won for us.

In your moment of apparent defeat you became forever our Victor.

GOING DEEPER

Reflection Questions

1. Taking stock of the past thirty-three days, what is God convicting you of?

2. What changes have you decided to make, and how are those changes going?

3. What fresh perspective have you gained on what the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus mean to you?

Read 2 Corinthians 5:14 –21 NLT, and rejoice in the gospel message.

14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

2026 Lenten Season - Day 33 - So Many Questions

We continue the tradition of 40 days of Lent-related devotionals (46 counting the Sundays).
Sharing "Journey to the Cross" by Paul David Tripp.
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The story of Jesus guarantees how your story will end.

How will this story end? This is the question in the mind of every human being.
How will my marriage end?
What will happen to my career?
Will my suffering ever end?
How will my kids turn out?
Will my investments pay off?
How will I get myself out of this mess?
Will I pass this course?
What will I have to deal with in old age?
What will I do after I graduate?
How will my ministry turn out?
Will the Bible turn out to be true?

These kinds of questions somehow, some way, haunt every human being. It doesn’t take many years of life before you conclude that you’re not only not in control of the big things in life, but also that there are very few things you actually control. It doesn’t take long for the delusion of self-sovereignty to shatter. We’re all also confronted with the fact that we live in a broken world that doesn’t function the way the Creator intended. As a child, you aren’t capable of theologically thinking this through, but you know messed-up and hurtful things happen a lot. As an adult, you adjust your expectations because you know the kinds of things that can happen in a fallen world.

In our smallness, we wonder if our lives will turn out the way we hoped and dreamed. My answer may surprise you. No, you won’t get much of what you hoped for and probably few of your dreams. But here’s the wonderful, encouraging flip side of my answer. What you will get as God’s child is way better than anything you could’ve hoped for and incomparably better than your brightest dream. Pay careful attention to what I am about to say. God doesn’t guarantee you’ll get your temporary dream; what he guarantees you is forever.

Because we are rational beings, we don’t live life based only on the facts of our experience; we depend on our interpretation of our experience. We never leave our own lives alone. We are always thinking, interpreting, and rethinking. We carry assumptions with us and we draw conclusions, which color future observations. Let me say this another way: we are all storytellers, and our audience is us. We all compose a story of how we think our life should unfold; it’s a story of what we desire and dream. And we all work to make the plot come true that we have written for ourselves. But grace introduces another author.

We are not actually the authors of our own stories; God is. He wrote our story ages before we took our first breath. Every situation, location, and relationship was written into the chapters of his book by his sovereign hand. And by grace, he has embedded our story into the great and grand, origin-to-destiny redemptive story. We are now citizens of his kingdom; we now live in the shadow of his glory, and we are now called to live with his purpose in mind. Because our story has been embedded in his story, there is no doubt about how our story will end.

Yes, we will suffer along the way. Yes, our hearts will go through seasons where they are laden with grief. No, we won’t always be healthy. Yes, we will be weak and we will fail. Yes, loved ones will leave us. Sometimes we will go through seasons of want. We won’t always be respected and appreciated. We won’t always experience true justice. There will be chapters in the story that God has written for us that will be very hard. But we must remember two things. First, he has written himself into the story so that he will always be with us, giving us what we could never give to ourselves. Second, what your Lord has written for you is not less than the plot you have written for yourself; it is infinitely more.

Most of us would be satisfied with temporal human happiness. We’d be satisfied with a good job, a nice house, a reliable car, a good church, a good marriage, successful children, and health and pleasure in our later years. But all of these dreams are not only self-oriented, but they are so dramatically brief when compared to the expansiveness of God’s story. So rather than deliver our small and self-oriented dreams, God did something better: he sent his Son to earth.

Jesus was willing to come, suffer, and die so that we would have a way better story. He suffered so that our suffering would end forever. He lived a selfless life so that we would be freed from our bondage to ourselves, so that for all eternity we would know the liberating joy of living for something and someone bigger than ourselves. Because of his humiliation, we will know the exaltation of living forever in the presence of the King.

Know today that no matter what you are going through, because of the grace of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, your little story has now been absorbed into his great story of victory over all that sin has broken. Because of what Jesus has done, you can rest in knowing the glorious way your story will end. In fact, because of the grace of Jesus, the end of your story is that it has no end!

GOING DEEPER
Reflection Questions

1. Describe a time when God did something in your life that was not what you wanted or planned, but later you saw that his plan was better.

2. Functionally, who do you believe is the author of your story? You may mentally agree that it is God, but do you live that way? What evidence is there in your life that you submit to God’s pen?

3. What parts of your story are you trying to write yourself? Are you willing to give God control? What are you afraid of?
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Read Romans 8:31–39 as God’s promise to you that even your heartaches are part of his plan.

Romans 8:31-39 New Living Translation

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?  

36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.