Today's Devotional: The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “Jesus Has Arrived!" for Saturday, 28 March 2015 - Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11

Today's Devotional:
The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “Jesus Has Arrived!" for Saturday, 28 March 2015 - Scripture: Matthew 21:1 As they were approaching Yerushalayim, they came to Beit-Pagei on the Mount of Olives. Yeshua sent two talmidim 2 with these instructions: “Go into the village ahead of you, and you will immediately find a donkey tethered there with its colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him, ‘The Lord needs them’; and he will let them go at once.” 4 This happened in order to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet,
5 “Say to the daughter of Tziyon,
‘Look! Your King is coming to you,
riding humbly on a donkey,
and on a colt, the offspring of a beast of burden!’[a]
6 So the talmidim went and did as Yeshua had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put their robes on them, and Yeshua sat on them. 8 Crowds of people carpeted the road with their clothing, while others cut branches from trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds ahead of him and behind shouted,
“Please! Deliver us!”[b]
to the Son of David;
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of Adonai!”
“You in the highest heaven! Please! Deliver us!”[c][d]
10 When he entered Yerushalayim, the whole city was stirred. “Who is this?” they asked. 11 And the crowds answered, “This is Yeshua, the prophet from Natzeret in the Galil.”[Footnotes:
Matthew 21:5 Zechariah 9:9
Matthew 21:9 Greek Ôsanna (English “Hosanna”) transliterates Hebrew Hosha na, which means “Please! Save [us]!”
Matthew 21:9 Psalm 118:25–26
Matthew 21:9 Greek Ôsanna (English “Hosanna”) transliterates Hebrew Hosha na, which means “Please! Save [us]!”]
The psalmist wrote, “I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”[Psalm 22:22 (NRSV)]
On Palm Sunday 1997, I stood at the church pulpit and held my testimony in shaking hands — silently asking Jesus to grant me the courage to read it. I shared with the congregation that my brother’s death the year before had forced me to evaluate my life. I told them how meaningless and purposeless my life had felt. I said that even though I had not attended a church in many years, I had sensed God guiding me to theirs, so I had called to speak with their pastor.
Whenever I glanced up at the parishioners, I was nervous. To calm myself I focused on the palm fronds they held to commemorate the day that the crowds proclaimed Jesus’ triumphant arrival by spreading branches on the road into Jerusalem. When I shared my testimony that Palm Sunday, I was proclaiming the arrival of Jesus into my heart. I told the congregation that their pastor had led me to Jesus and that the gift of salvation brings hope and healing. I asserted that serving in God’s kingdom brings purpose and peace. On this Palm Sunday, we all can celebrate and proclaim the day Jesus entered our lives.
The Author: Debra Pierce (Massachusetts, USA)
Thought for the Day: Jesus is still making triumphant arrivals.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, give us the boldness and joy to proclaim your glorious gift of salvation. Amen.
Prayer focus: Someone Sharing Their Testimony

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