Expectations versus Reality – April 14, 2019

As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Luke 19:36-38

Expectations versus Reality

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the crowds were expecting a king. They lined the streets hoping to see a mighty monarch. They waved palm branches and put their cloaks on the road seeking to honor an approaching regent. They shouted their praises and proclaimed their loyalty wanting to welcome a royal benefactor. But what the people expected and what they eventually saw were two different things. Jesus had not come to conquer. He had come to be crucified.

The people in Jerusalem were disappointed because Jesus wasn’t the king they were expecting. Too often I experience the same feeling. The Bible clearly teaches who Jesus is and what he came to accomplish. Still, I am tempted to make Jesus conform to my expectations. I want him to fulfill my whims and desires. I want him to bend and conform to my will.

Thankfully, that is not who Jesus is nor what he came to do. He came to fight for me when I was powerless against sin. He came to release me when I was bound and imprisoned by sin. He came to die so that I might live. Thank you, Jesus, for being far more than I could have ever expected.

Prayer:
O precious Jesus, as you entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, you established your rule and power. Give me the strength of faith to see you as you are. Free me from my faulty expectations. Fill me with the confidence to acknowledge you as my Lord and Savior, my Redeemer and King. Amen.