Fulfill His Plan
Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.” John 12:14-15
I was there. I walked down the “Palm Sunday” Road. Oh, it was nothing like it was in Jesus’ day. But still, a very narrow alley with buildings on each side of the road. It is paved now, but so tight it is actually very scary when oncoming vehicles come around the corners. It’s rough terrain and down the side of Mt. Olivet. I was excited in the morning as we stood on top of mount Zion over looking the temple mount, the place where Jesus will return. But as we began our descent, I quickly realized this walk was not going to be a stroll in the park. We stopped at a couple of historic points on the way down and by the time we were heading up the far side into the city, it was HOT! Even though it was still before 12 noon, the heat of the day was already on us.
Jesus rode into the city on the colt of a donkey, which in my opinion would have made it an even more grueling journey. In Luke’s account of this event, Jesus told His disciples to go into the village next to them and find the colt tied to a tree. He said to bring it to Him and if anyone asked what they were doing taking their animal, to respond with “The Lord has need of it.” The passage doesn’t actually say that the colt was returned, but there is no doubt in my mind that it was since it was only borrowed for that specific purpose. Jesus only needed it to fulfill prophecy and His mission. God had laid out a plan for His life and that is what He determined to be the most important thing of every day He lived in this world. Even to the detail of riding on a donkey.
God has a plan for you and me too. Jesus could have made His trip into the city on foot like everyone else did, but He was fulfilling a scripture that had been written long ago about that very day. Today He is at work fulfilling all that needs to be done before He returns, and it is written that many of these things would be done through the hands of His people. One of the last things He said before ascending into heaven to be with His Father was: “Go into all the world and tell the good news” Since Jesus no longer lives in this world, He has delegated this part of the plan to His people that still live here. He has given each one of us gifts, talents and abilities with which to uniquely fulfill this calling. He didn’t use His gifts and talents for His own profit and agenda, and He doesn’t expect us to either.
The Lord has needs us, not because He cannot do it Himself, but because that is the way He set it up so that He could partner with us through His Spirit. In that way we can cover much more territory than one person could, and we get to walk closely with Him each day as we live out our mission. It is a win/win scenario and one that I am honored to be a part of. My salvation does not only include escaping eternal torment and separation from God, but it also gives me the benefit of walking out this life as part of His family working in the family business. Like the Palm Sunday Road ride, it may be rough sometimes and there may be detours and things in the way at other points, but He is planning on us completing the journey and keeping Him along with you until all His work is done.
Today I want to encourage you to examine how you carry Him with you each day. Do you say a quick prayer each morning and then never check in again the rest of the day or are you intentionally taking Him on your life journey every step of the way and getting your assignment for the day? Recognize today that the Lord has a perfect plan for your life and then walk into that purpose of carrying His message to the world around you all the while using the gifts and abilities, He has empowered you with. Ensure that your life journey will be comprised of all the plans and details He created you for and when you come to the end of your time here, you will step into eternity knowing that you have done well!
Today’s scripture reading: John 12:12-19
12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!”
14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.
17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness.
18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.
19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”
The Daily Dose 