Following Jesus in the Gospel of MarkSample

SAVE US, WE PRAY

Look Closely: Up to this point, Jesus had avoided drawing attention to Himself, often telling those He healed to keep quiet and Himself withdrawing from the crowds. But in the way He entered Jerusalem this time, He publicly declared Himself to be the Messiah. Every Jew would have been familiar with Zechariah’s prophecy.

As Jesus rode the colt into Jerusalem, the streets were crowded with pilgrims preparing to celebrate the Passover Festival, the annual remembrance of Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 12:14). They shouted “Hosanna!”, which means “Save us!” and “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” They were quoting Psalm 118:25-26, which is one of the Hallel, or praise, psalms typically sung at Passover. The psalm itself was composed as a hymn of thanksgiving for deliverance from enemies, and the use of it as Jesus entered Jerusalem indicated the Israelites’ belief that Jesus had come to deliver them...from their current Roman oppression. How do you think the Jewish leaders would have felt or responded to Jesus’ declaration and the crowd’s reception of Him?

The crowds correctly identified Jesus as their coming King but had no real understanding of what that meant. The people of Israel were clearly familiar with the Scriptures, but their expectations blinded them to the truth about themselves and Jesus. What do you think the people’s expectations tell us about their priorities, focus, and faith?

Challenge: When have your expectations caused you to misinterpret or even miss something that God wanted to do in your life? What is one practical step you can take today to identify and release misplaced expectations?