June 9, 2016

FACE YOUR FEARS WITH JOY!

Mark 11:1–14

Sammie Johnston
Thursday's Devo

June 9, 2016

Thursday's Devo

June 9, 2016

Central Truth

Jesus knew what awaited Him as He entered Jerusalem the week before His death on the cross. The manner in which He entered the city showed He wasn't anxious at the thought of His approaching suffering, but offered direction and encouragement to His disciples. It was a fulfillment of prophecy.

Key Verse | Mark 11:7–10

And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:7-10)

Mark 11:1–14

The Triumphal Entry

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus 1 11:1 Greek he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

Footnotes

[1] 11:1 Greek he

Dive Deeper | Mark 11:1–14

Nine months ago, I sat in an oncologist's office with my husband, Morris, and heard the surgeon tell him that he had a football-sized tumor growing through his left kidney that needed to be removed immediately. This was startling, unexpected, concerning news. The following two weeks brought the loss of the kidney and confirmation that the removed tumor was a rare type of cancer. After the shock of the initial diagnosis, we were comforted by the love and support of our family, our community group, and brothers and sisters in Christ. We were bathed in prayer support and experienced the joy that comes from knowing God loves us, knows every part of our being, knows our future, and holds us firmly in His hand.

Jesus is our perfect example of trusting God when facing upcoming fear. Though fully human, He took deliberate action to encourage His disciples. He showed He was fully God by giving directions about where to find the colt and what words to speak to gain its use. By riding an unbroken colt, Jesus demonstrated that He was fulfilling Old Testament messianic prophecy. He also was subtly revealing himself as Messiah. He was coming to Jerusalem as the Prince of Peace. His disciples would understand after His death and resurrection that this entry into Jerusalem fulfilled the prophecy from Zechariah 9:9.

The disciples made a saddle for Jesus out of their cloaks. And, while pilgrims normally entered Jerusalem on foot, that day the people paid respect to Jesus by laying their cloaks and tree branches on the ground in front of Him, demonstrating their hope that He was their Messiah and honoring Him like royalty. Their shouts of "Hosanna" were exclamations of praise that called out for deliverance. Jesus, though, was conveying that He was coming as a spiritual Savior, not a political one. He was coming publicly, cheerfully, to fulfill God's purpose.

In the face of my personal fears, I look to Jesus. He is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer. I know that He knows and understands how I feel. He is my hope, my savior, and all I need!

Discussion Questions

1. What event, action, or person causes you fear?

2. What are your strategies to overcome your fear?

3. What attributes of Christ can you model to help you face and overcome your fear?

4. Write three Scripture references that you will commit to memorize to help you face and overcome your fear.