Today being Palm Sunday, we always reflect upon what it really means. 1,989 years ago, a young Rabbi named Yeshua sat on the summit of a mountain looking down over the city of Jerusalem and lamented deeply in his heart for the condition of the people that he had come to try and save from the terrible fate that he knew would be theirs for many generations to come.
Yeshua, or as we call him, Jesus, the Son of God, was taking in his final view of the city before he would enter the gates riding on a donkey and welcomed by shouts of joy and the waving of palm branches. He was entering the city to not only celebrate Passover, but to become the Passover Lamb that would be sacrificed for the sin of Israel and all of humanity.
This was a day of mixed emotions in the very heart of the Son of God. There’s no doubt that Jesus had seen this day coming for a long time with both dread and joy, and there was no escaping it. On this day Jesus was filled with compassion for the lost souls of men, especially the people of Israel.
As a man he dreaded what was coming for it meant much pain as he would face the beatings, torture the whip and finally the hammer and nails of the cross at the hands of the Romans under Pontius Pilate. The hour of his departure from this world, from among the living, was at hand and he was in anguish because he knew what was about to happen.
How could Jesus have joy over what he would face? Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. The Joy was based upon the finished work that he would accomplish that would make a way of salvation for all men.
Love bound him to the path set before him. How great is the Love of God to send his Only Son to die for the sin of man – the very creation of God that had rejected him and fallen ever deeper into the darkness of rebellion!
Just before riding into the city Jesus stood on the mountain overlooking the city and wept as he looked down over the scene before him and saw the future of what was to come for the city, the nation and the people that he loved so much. Jesus had come to save them. He had come to be their Messiah that they had prayed for and hoped for, and searched for through hundreds and thousands of years.
Jesus had come, but they did not know him because of the blindness of their hearts and because they had been misled and lied to by the Priests, the very ones who were to be their spiritual leaders led them away from the truth. Jesus had been rejected and though The Very Son of God walked among them and they did not know the hour of their visitation. The Jews were about to destroy what they desired most of all and it would leave them cursed for many generations in a dangerous world where they would become the target of destruction until they would see Jesus come again at the end of the age.
You can sense the sorrow in his heart as Jesus stood on the mountain in Matthew 23:37-39 and spoke these words: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that killed the prophets, and stoned them which are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
For I say unto you, You shall not see me after this, till you shall say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.”
In a greater sense, I believe that Jesus knew he wasn’t just speaking to Jerusalem, but that he was thinking of the whole world and all of humanity.
As the Son of God, he looked down through the centuries of history that were yet to come and remembered all that had happened in the centuries past, and he felt the pain of hopelessness Israel and the whole human race had known before and the terror, hardship, pain and death that they would face in the years to come.
He remembered the death and destruction of the Assyrian Captivity. He remembered the capture of Jerusalem, the slaughter of the people and the leading of so many into the Babylonian Captivity under Nebuchadnezzar. He remembered the day that Israel invited the Romans in to bring peace among the warring factions of the Jews, and how that had now become the Roman Occupation. And Jesus knew that the Romans would ultimately destroy Jerusalem and the temple, and that they would shatter Israel as a nation by exiling the Jews to the four corners of the earth.
He saw the wars to come; so many that we cannot begin to list them all. And those wars would grow worse until they engulfed every nation pitted against every nation in the world wars. He saw the hour coming when the Jews would be the target of extermination in the holocaust of Hitler’s Germany. And Jesus saw what pain and suffering the end time destruction of Revelation would bring and Israel’s betrayal by the Antichrist.
But Jesus also knew that Israel would be restored, and through it all, the true Israel; those who would come to know him for who he was, would be saved. It was for those who would become his disciples that Jesus was willingly going to the cross.
• All of it would come, and there was no way of stopping it, because man had missed the hour of God’s visitation in the Garden of Eden and rejected him.
• Israel had missed the time of his visitation on Sinai, as time after time they rejected his Law that was meant to lead them to their Messiah. If only they had seen its true purpose and learned to live by it. As closely as they tried to follow it, they never learned it’s hidden truth.
• Israel had missed the times of God’s visitation every time the Shekinah could be seen above the Mercy Seat in the Tabernacle. God was always speaking, and some would hear, but in general He was always rejected and sin would continue to reign in the hearts of rebellious people.
• Israel, and all mankind, had missed his visitation when he was born in Bethlehem, never realizing how that his coming had been so clearly foretold in prophecy.
• And now Israel, and all mankind would miss the hour of His visitation again during this Passover feast as he became the sacrificial Lamb of God. There’s always a small remnant who would see the reality of what Jesus was doing and who he was, but most would not.
• Jesus would come and he would leave, and the world would never know what they had missed. Yet God’s heart of Love and Compassion would make a way so that those who chose to Love him would find Salvation. And for that purpose Jesus had to accomplish his mission.
As Jesus mourned over Jerusalem, he was mourning over you and I too. He was mourning over all of the death, pain, hurt, destruction, hopelessness and suffering of humanity that would happen until the end of time because mankind would not receive the blessing that the hour of God’s visitation was meant to bring.
Jesus would enter into the city of Jerusalem to the accolades and praises of people who were looking for an earthly king to bring them deliverance from their enemies; give them freedom to live life as they desired to; give them prosperity and heal all their diseases; and establish their own idea of a utopian society where the Messiah would reign as king.
They worshipped him and threw their coats on the ground for him to walk upon, and waved palm branches in praise, but it all turned to ashes as they screamed “Crucify Him” over and gain, just a few days later. They were watching their Messiah ride into the city, victorious as a conquering king over sin, death and the devil. But they missed the greatest Hour of their Visitation because Jesus didn’t do what they wanted, what they expected and what they had believed that he would do.
And what about us, right now, this very day? What have we done, and what are we doing during our Hour of Visitation from God?
• How often do we, as a congregation, come together with dreams of a visitation of God; hoping that he will bring us peace; praying that we will be healed; and expecting Him to manifest his presence according to our own way of thinking?
• How often have we missed our times of Visitation from God because he didn’t show up the way we expected, or manifest in the manner that we hoped for, so we failed to receive all that God had to offer?
• How often have we ignored his voice; missed the moving of the Holy Ghost; or failed to wave the palm branches of our voices in praises to Him?
• How many times has God come to us, riding on a donkey so to speak, in lowly ways that we didn’t expect, and we didn’t see him because we expected him to be much more?
• How often have we attempted to cast our “coats” of selfishness under his feet and expected him to walk upon them to satisfy our needs, but we didn’t grasp hold of what God really wanted from us?
• And how often have we chosen to just go back into our own ways, never trying to change, never giving a thought to what Jesus said, or what the word was that He gave to us, and never wondering whether we missed God in any way! What are we doing with the times of our visitation?
Jesus sat on the mount, mourning over the things that Israel and the world would face because he knew their hearts were not right.
They had constantly studied, always trying to learn more about God, but nothing that they had studied and learned ever had enough impact to change their hearts and cause them to truly know God and learn the real Truth! All that they had learned had not brought them to a saving knowledge of who Jesus was. And all that they had learned only served to bring them into a deeper condemnation for rejecting the truth and not being ready when the Messiah came.
The hour of His visitation had become a curse rather than a blessing, and that curse would not be lifted for many years to come. They had brought the curse upon themselves, and upon their children for generations as they cried, “Let his blood be upon us and our children! Crucify Him! Crucify him!”
We can’t stand in judgment over Israel’s actions on that day for how many, even in the church, still do the same thing today? How often do we fail to teach our children about Jesus in the way we should, and every time we fail in that duty, we condemn them to a life where they don’t know Jesus and fail to truly learn of him. And every time we fail to teach our kids the truth we are saying “Crucify Him” again! He is not our God, nor our Lord. We only give him lip service, but not our whole heart and life!
We might bring them to church, but do we live the life of Christ before them on a daily basis? So many times we say one thing, but live another! We don’t even portray the way of holiness to the children. Instead of teaching them holiness and godliness, we join them in celebrating the way of the world that leads to death and rebellion against all that is righteous.
We go on living the way we want to, living a double standard, showing a hypocritical spirit, never giving the children the instruction as to the absolute importance of being in the House of God, or of studying and knowing his word, or of being faithful and loyal to God above all else. We teach them a life of compromise with the world and then wonder why they choose not to follow God when they get old enough to make their own choices.
What lesson do we teach when we let anything, everything, and everyone keep us away from God’s House?
How many times have we squandered the chances to be in his presence and miss the Hour of our Visitation because we are so caught up in the things of this world that will never mean one thing in eternity?
We can enjoy life, but remember, this life is but a vapor and eternity is forever? And I certainly don’t want to miss the time of my visitation and the time of my dwelling in the presence of the Lord forever!
As we celebrate Palm Sunday once again, and we remember the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem, let us not miss the significance of it in our own hearts! Let us not welcome Jesus into our midst with songs of praise and shouts of joy, only to throw him under the bus when serving him becomes inconvenient.
We are to be in great expectancy of his coming! We are to be prepared for the hour of our visitation! We should enter his courts with praise and welcome his presence with thanksgiving, giving glory to his name! And then we should walk with him daily, listening for those times of his visitation in our hearts. We should seek those times of refreshing that come from the Lord, and recognize the presence of the Holy Ghost when he is near!
I thank God that we don’t have to live under the curse of rejecting him as the nation of Israel has had to do, and I thank God that Israel is feeling the blessings of God again. But how much have them missed over the years, and how many people today are living under that generational curse because their ancestors rejected God?
Thank God that curse is broken the moment that someone in that family comes to Jesus and serves the Lord! Let us be the ones to break that curse and serve God today! Let us be the ones who will lead the generations to come should the Lord tarry, and teach them to Love Jesus. Let us not miss God’s best while we live with so much less!
In these end times we are preparing for another Triumphal Entry of Christ as he returns for the catching away of his Bride, and then a final Triumphal Entry at his Second Coming as the Conquering King to reign forever!
The Lord weeps every day over the condition of man for whom he died. He weeps over the fact that men still reject him after all that he has done to redeem them. He mourns over the fact that so many more will suffer and die without hope. The world is still missing the hour of His Visitation and many will be lost forever. But no one has to be among that number. All we have to do is choose to follow Jesus faithfully.
May God help us all today to be ready for his Triumphal Entry, both into our own hearts and lives, and as he comes again! Let us not miss the blessings of our Times of His Visitation.
Israel missed the time of her visitation even though it was foretold exactly how it would happen by prophets throughout her history, just like what we read in Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Now we are given the prophetic word again, and it is very specific, giving us the exact manner in which it will happen. Let us not ignore it, and let us not miss it when it happens, but let us watch and wait, and be prepared for that day!
First is the prophecy of his catching away of the Bride.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
There are many who deny this truth, proclaiming that there is no rapture. They will miss the Time of their visitation through doubt and rejection. And they will pay a heavy price for their sin.
I want you to know that every word is true, and it will happen exactly as the scripture says. God’s word will never fail. Zechariah was fulfilled as Jesus rode into Jerusalem, and the rapture will be fulfilled just as Paul said, so prepare yourself for departure, to go and be with the Lord in the air!
Secondly is the prophecy of his Second Coming to reign over the earth!
Revelation 22:12-14 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
There are more than one verse that proclaims this Time of God’s Visitation is coming!
He’s coming again as the King of King and Lord of Lords! He’s coming again, not on a donkey, but on a White Horse, signifying that he is the Conquering King and Master of all! He’s coming again with all the Host of Heaven and all the Saints riding with him on White Horses, for we will all share in that hour of His great Glory as he reveals his true power to all of creation.
Every eye shall see him, and none can deny his Righteous Kingdom and his right to rule over all the earth!
I’m going to be in that number when the saints go marching in; and I’m going to be in that number when the saints coming riding back! I wouldn’t miss that Time of God’s Visitation for anything!
Let us be ready for the Hour of his coming! This is one Hour of Visitation that no one should miss! Prepare yourself for the times of Visitation that will come to you and make your heart ready to receive him! Jesus will come to you in times and seasons, and in many ways. Don’t miss those times of Visitation!
Let Jesus ride into the gates of your heart! Wave the Palm Branches in Praise, and lay your life at his feet. Let him be the Lord of your life! He will come as the lowly Savior, but he wants to reign in us as the Conquering King of Glory! We just have to be prepared for his coming and allow him to rule and reign in us!
