Journey Toward Destiny

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. Luke 19:41 NIV

The countdown to the Eclipse 2024 is underway. On April 8, the “Great North American Eclipse” will move across the United States. The path of totality will start in Mexico and move across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine before heading out over the North Atlantic. For a few minutes, the moon gets to overshadow the sun.

April 8 would not have been a good day if you were the king of Mesopotamia in 763 B.C. You could have easily related to the Shakespearian quote, “Uneasy is the head that wears a crown” because a total solar eclipse was seen as an omen of death for rulers of the Assyrian Empire. They were uncertain of what would happen, but since the Assyrians worshiped the Sun God, the Moon God, and other sky deities, a total eclipse of the Sun held tremendous spiritual and political power. To avoid such an untimely death, the king would name a substitute king for the day who would become the reigning monarch for the day and take on the curse of the omen and be sacrificed. “The substitute king would enjoy all the trappings of regency before being ritualistically killed to fulfill the prophecy.” (article by Rebecca Boyle)

Lent has been a season of preparation preparing us for the arrival of the true King and the fulfillment of prophecy – a King that would become the substitute instead of having a fake king to be his substitute.

The climax of the Journey Toward Destiny began as the people crowded the streets of Jerusalem preparing for the entry of Jesus. Whether you fasted during Lent or used these 40 days to prepare your heart for Easter, the time has come. This season of preparation has prepared us for the event far greater and vastly more important than any total eclipse.

Palm Sunday marks the church’s celebration of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event that each Gospel writer captured in their own unique style. Even reading the narratives you can feel the excitement mounting, the pressure building, and hope intensifying. The people are pushing and shoving to get a place on the street to welcome the King. Is this finally the fulfillment of centuries of anticipation coming true? Finally, will Jesus be the one to restore their rightful place as a nation and break the bondage of the oppressor?

“A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matt 21:8-9)

“What comes into your mind when you think about God?” A.W. Tozer asked this penetrating question in his book, The Knowledge of the Holy. The question could have been asked on that day when Jesus entered Jerusalem on His Journey Toward Destiny. The same question is appropriate to ask of ourselves as we enter into this final week of Easter.

The crowds wanted a political hero, a military strategist, but most importantly a powerful commander to restore their nation. What they got that day was the Son of God riding on a donkey heading for a cross that would open the doors for redemption and salvation.  The crowds would return home at the end of the day. Some would go home disappointed that he hadn’t entered on a white horse. Some would go home disillusioned that the revolution didn’t start overthrowing the Roman occupation. Some would go home that evening angry that Jesus didn’t meet their expectation of a Messiah.

However, among the palm-waving crowds that day, there were a few that would go home that evening having experienced the coming of the Messiah as prophesied generations before. They would become what they worshipped and would come to Jesus, the true Messiah. “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.” Zechariah 9: 9-10 (NIV)

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God.” (Tozer)

The crowds cheering for Jesus that morning upon his entry into Jerusalem were also part of the crowds that would be yelling again in a few days for Jesus. However, instead of yelling Hosanna to the Son of David, they would be yelling crucify him, crucify him. What changed? They became what they worshipped which shaped their destiny and their beliefs. Tozer went on to write, “We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God…Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, ‘What comes to mind when you think about God?’ we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man.”

What comes to your mind when you think of God? As you enter this time called Holy Week, I trust there will be an opportunity to drown out the crowd noise, find time to step away from the busy week and simply let your thoughts focus on Jesus. Try reading a different Gospel account each day of the events related to Holy Week.  Let Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John guide you in a time of reflection and worship preparing your heart, soul, and mind for Easter.

Jesus, as we approach Easter, let our hearts and minds be filled with praise and thanksgiving for all that you endured for us. Let us never forget your sacrifice so that we might have life. Thank you for the amazing gift of salvation.

God is great!

Hosanna in the Highest! by Hanna-Cheriyan Varghese