“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” Luke 19:38
If Advent is the time to be hopeful for something good to come for us, then we ought to know what to expect. In this verse from the Bible, the people of Jerusalem seem to expect a triumphant king, but Jesus knew what was waiting for Him in Jerusalem … and it wasn’t the adoring throngs. Only a short time before the crowds cheered Him on with these words, Jesus had told His disciples that He was going to Jerusalem to be handed over, mocked, insulted, spit on, flogged, and killed. That doesn’t sound very blessed, but still He went to Jerusalem.
It wasn’t the first time Jesus made what we might view as a seemingly bad choice. As God, He knew that the people He had created in His own image had sinned and that the only way to save them from eternal punishment was to suffer in their place. So, to accomplish this, He became man and was born in Bethlehem so that He could suffer as a man for the sins of all mankind.
If we are honest, we have to admit that this is not an equal trade. The Son of God … for me? It’s not fair, but Jesus thought we were worth it. Because He came for us all, faithful Christians can say, “We are blessed because our God, the King, comes to save us!”
Prayer: Lord God, we praise You that through Your Holy Word You have shown us salvation through Your Son, Jesus, that we may live our lives in perfect hope and trust in Your gracious forgiveness. Amen.
© 2006 Lutheran Hour Ministries
These devotions have been written by Rev. Paul and Kaye Wolff. Rev. Paul Wolff is a 1996 graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He has served as a pastor in the Detroit area for 10 years. He and co-author wife, Kaye, live in Southfield, Michigan.
Kaye Dumas Wolff is Chairperson of the Black Ministry Church Planting Task Force and a Mission Affiliate of LCMS World Missions where she serves as a training facilitator for laity in evangelism and mission work. Kaye serves on the Advisory Council of the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, and she is a presenter for Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Equipping to Share Workshop.
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Today's Bible Readings: Ezra 3-4 1 John 5
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