Matthew 21:12-17 ~ Prepared

Why a donkey and a colt?

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and The Life.

The Holy Spirit is Comfort.

Matthew 21:12-17

†

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 

13 He said to them,

 “It is written, 

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 

15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” 

And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,

“‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies

    You have prepared praise’?”

17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

 Christ Pantocrator, 6th century

The Greek word Pantocrator is “he who has authority over everything.” Two Hebrew expressions in the Old Testament describe God, the “God of Hosts” (Sabaot) and “Almighty” (El Shaddai).

Perhaps the different eyes of Jesus represent the Divine and Jesus the man.

God is God.  Our God, The Almighty, is fully the architect of His Living Word, and teaches us to know images of Jesus as a living man walking and healing us all, being Grace upon Grace.  David was ruddy. And handsome and very young. Solomon was clothed beautifully.  Saul was extremely tall. 

 A man of Sorrows, Isaiah 53:3 describing Jesus of Good Friday. Jesus describes Himself in John 14, 15, 16 and 17 as a man who has lived a Joyful Life. 

We do not know if Jesus was Ruddy, tall, short, blonde, light or dark eyes. 

God wants us to recognize: Our Heavenly Father, the Exact Nature of Jesus. 

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done on earth as in Heaven. Give us this day. Our Daily Bread. Forgive us our Trespasses.  Lead us not into Temptation. Deliver us from evil. For His is The Kingdom, The Power and The Glory.

We recognize Father God in these Verses 

Being Glorified on earth, as people are not. Julius Caesar didn't have impromptu be our king parades. Complete with blankets and coats lost to the crowd for Jesus to walk upon. The fringe of the Robe of Jesus was known to heal. Acts 5 tells us the family and friends of the ill and dying were placed in the shadow of the Disciples of Jesus to heal.    

God addresses injustice forthrightly. Without fear of mankind. Jesus is in the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, so rarely opened.

Jesus Christ is the Light of the world

Jesus Christ is the Light of mankind

Light has no borders or boundaries. 

† One of the most important images Jesus  is giving us.  

Jesus wants us to see in His Message Eternally is His Nature.  Jesus doesn't just ride on a donkey like David did.  David explained himself by riding his donkey to his coronation, David knew he was a man of the people. David fully explains his roots.

Jesus is Teaching as He rides in on a Donkey and brings a colt. 

Horses sent a rare message. In the Roman Empire, few men can be Tribunes. Senatorial Rank in the equestrian portion of the army. Horses were very elite. To be equestrian rank, the man brings his own horse.

Jesus is Light of mankind. Jesus is not poverty creeping into a criminal death. Jesus is a Carpenter's Son. Jesus is the Son of the Most High God.  Jesus is the Messiah of God. Both God and man.

Jesus is Light of the world

Palm Sunday is Jesus enters through the Beautiful Gate

Amos 5: 14-24

Seek good, and not evil,

    that you may live;

and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,

    as you have said.

15 Hate evil, and love good,

    and establish justice in the gate

It may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,

    will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord:

“In all the squares there shall be wailing,

    and in all the streets they shall say, ‘Alas! Alas!’

They shall call the farmers to mourning

    and to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation,

17 and in all vineyards there shall be wailing,

    for I will pass through your midst,”

says the Lord.

18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!

    Why would you have the day of the Lord?

It is darkness, and not light,

as if a man fled from a lion,

    and a bear met him,

or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,

    and a serpent bit him.

20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,

    and gloom with no brightness in it?

21 “I hate, I despise your feasts,

    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,

    I will not accept them;

and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,

    I will not look upon them.

23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;

    to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

24 But let justice roll down like waters,

    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Holy Week and Easter 

Uniquely tell us of God's Plans

and 

The Joy of God is our Strength.

When we say

Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life

we recognize

The Holy Spirit is Comfort.

God intends us to Love Jesus and find Him our Comfort.

We sometimes wonder in the news and the daily disaster report, if Jesus has fallen asleep in the boat. Maybe, we should wake Him. 

The Way, The Truth, The Life. Jesus Christ.

When we see Jesus healed them 'all', we find some are indignant. 

The Sacrifice, then the Comfortless. Jesus discourages the Money Machine. Jesus isn't about the bank Herod adored for Rome, Jesus is for the joy of His Righteousness and His Boldness in His Righteousness.

Today's Verse says: Even God's Praises were being discouraged.

When Jesus heals the deaf man so beautifully and carefully, Jesus is with a deaf man.

When Jesus heals the ten lepers, Jesus acknowledges life has lepers. 

Verse 17, Jesus takes refuge in Bethany. Zechariah said around its northern side,  would be the road to Bethany and the Jordan

Zechariah 14:4

On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.

Jesus Christ.

The Time of His Sacrifice He is not discussing the end of the world. Not talking about the unrepentant cities. Jesus acknowledges in all His Way, His Truth and His Life, life is not Heaven. Jesus is taking refuge in the city He calls unrepentant.

Jesus knew the hassles and frustrations of Life. He found Joy because of His Faith in God's Plan. His Joy in seeing the Centurion's Faith in the Word Spoken by God's Son. 

Jesus the clear vision of God's Plan sees The Way of Life, The Truth of Life, and finds Life Joy. Finding the Holy Spirit is Comfort.

It's so difficult to see Jesus

killed, when He Healed them ALL.

So very difficult.

God's Mercies Renew.

As Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter Sunday are here,

we realize we are not dust in Jesus Christ.

We Begin Again as His Mercies Renew.

Psalm 24

A Psalm of David

The earth is the Lord's 
and 
the fullness thereof
the world 
and those
 who dwell therein

He has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?

And who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.

5 He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. 
Selah!

 Lift up your heads, O gates!

And be lifted up, O ancient doors!

The King of glory may come in.

8 Who is this King of glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!

9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.

10 Who is this King of glory?

The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory! 
Selah!

Abba, Father,

Help us to go before the Lord to prepare His ways

To give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins

Because of the tender mercy of our God

 His sunrise shall visit us from on high 

Giving light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death

Guiding our feet into the way of peace.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms

By grace you have been saved through faith

 and that not of yourselves

 The gift of God

not as a result of works, so that no one may boast

Faith is a gift of God

by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ

May grace and peace be multiplied to you

 in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord

We pray for all facing injustice

and those who face the injustice

in a system called Justice.

We pray this Land

is Home of the Free

the Brave

and 

the Honest.

FREEDOM!

1 John 3:1

See what kind of love the Father has given to us,

 that we should be called children of God

Dwell in us, Father

Dwell in those we Love

Help us to seek You first

and in Jesus Christ,

we will finish well.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord

Jesus Christ, Savior of God.

All the Generations of Heaven. 

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow the Children of God.

Amen in Jesus Christ 

The Holy Spirit

Comfort

Help

Helper

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Romans 8:26-30~ He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit

 

Romans 8:26-30

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 

27 And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose

. 29 For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.

We all get to a place where we need a decision. And when we are there, we can bet the Holy Spirit prays with us.

Catholics love to say pray and pay the light bill. Absolutely. Pray and do what we can do. Hope lives well when hope is an action.

1 Thessalonians 2:4-6

But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness— nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.

Ephesians 1:13

And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth--the gospel of your salvation--you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit

Acts 2:38
Forgiveness of Sins, Gift of the Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:22

The Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,
Goodness, Faithfulness

Acts 1:8

Power of the Holy Spirit

Titus  3:5

Rebirth and Renewal of the Holy Spirit

John 14:26

Holy Spirit the Advocate

2 Peter 1:21

Carried along by the Holy Spirit

Luke 4:1

Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit

Acts 10:38

God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit

Colossians 1:8

your love in the Spirit

Matthew 3:11

Baptize you with the Holy Spirit

2 Corinthians 13:14

Fellowship with the Holy Spirit

May the grace of Lord Jesus Christ,

and the love of God, and the fellowship

of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Romans 5:5

God's love has been poured out into our

hearts through the Holy Spirit

One Body in Christ

Acts 10: 44

While Peter was still speaking these Words,

the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.

1 Corinthians 12:4

There are different kinds of gifts, 

but the same Spirit distributes them. 

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope 

fill you with all joy and peace

 as you trust in Him, 

so that you may overflow with hope 

by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Luke 11:13

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, 

how much more will your Father in Heaven

 give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

1 Corinthians 6:19

your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, 

Who is in you,

 whom you have received from God

The Larger part is this:

The people who had seen Jesus have a say about the willingness of God ~ Peter wrote, saying Jesus does not help us under compulsion, Jesus helps willingly. When we pray for ourselves and for others.

1 Peter 5:2

Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly--not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.

1 John 3:1

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

Jude 1:2

Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

James 1:12

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

And the faith of being able to cast our cares upon HIM to sustain us -

New wine - being changed by Jesus, seeing our lives as a gift from God and for God, not just another salmon swimming upstream without hope and going through the daily work. Old wine - what is valued, mellowed, cherished. What is Jesus telling us? We cannot change, cannot save ourselves. We cannot do it ourselves. With God all things are possible. Every day, we take our old wine - the things we value, the things the world expects, old hurts, the things that concern us. And we put them before God - the new wine of the Holy Spirit. Then we see the blessings and we thank Him.

Blessed be God, who creates light out of darkness.

We are new creatures in Christ Jesus, not controlled by the old values, but placing ourselves in front of Father God as His children.

Isaiah 45

I am the LORD, and there is no other;

apart from me there is no God.

I will strengthen you

Psalm 18:31

For who is God besides the LORD!

 And who is the Rock except our God!

Psalm 18:32

It is God who arms me with strength 

and makes my way clear.

Abba, Father,

We look to You for Your Blessing and Favor

Please cover this Nation in the Highest Name of Jesus Christ, Savior.

Holy is Your Name, Jesus.

Dwell in us

Dwell in those we Love

Help us to Seek You first

In Jesus, we will finish well.

We pray for more Heaven on earth

and to see each day Your Blessings,

Give us the day.

Help us to be the seeds and the

effort to bring forth

daily Bread

with Jesus Christ

our Living Bread.

Merciful Father, 

in Jesus, forgive us our trespass

and allow us Your Grace and Mercy

to live with only trespass

and not all the problems of

Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

In Jesus we hope for the Blessings

You've given in Your Word,

lead us out of temptation

and deliver us from evil.

Not in our own righteousness

but in Your Mercy,

Yours is the Kingdom

Yours is the Power

Yours is the Glory.

Thank You, Father, for Jesus.

Amen.

Daniel 4:3

How great are His signs, and how mighty His wonders! 

His kingdom is an eternal kingdom

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay Jesus

1 Corinthians 3:9-17 ~ God's

 

My great uncle Wm Carey Graves was the majority leader of the Texas Senate for 16 years and Governor of Texas for an entire day. The Governor stepped away from Texas. And politics is usually a short-term employer. Time and winds change. Of course, some are in Politics for the duration, but not many.

1 Corinthians 3:9-17

9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Like Ray Charles, we all have the opportunity to reinvent our lives. Unlike votes and ticket sales, God is much more merciful. And is more likely to do the impossible!

We have survived another season of voting. There are many improvements to the system that could be made. If we have faith in the Lord, we will work together better. The further we get away from the Pandemic, the more reason and hope we will have. Scriptures repeat and so does History of Pandemic.

We are the Lord God Almighty's Beloved. And Jesus is our Savior as His gift to us.

Revelation 19:1

After these things 

I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in Heaven, saying,

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power 

belong to our God!"

Abba, Father,

We look to You for Your Blessing and Favor

Please cover this Nation in the Highest Name of Jesus Christ, Savior.

Holy is Your Name, Jesus.

Dwell in us

Dwell in those we Love

Help us to Seek You first

In Jesus, we will finish well.

We pray for more Heaven on earth

and to see each day Your Blessings,

Give us the day.

Help us to be the seeds and the

effort to bring forth

daily Bread

with Jesus Christ

our Living Bread.

Merciful Father, 

in Jesus, forgive us our trespass

and allow us Your Grace and Mercy

to live with only trespass

and not all the problems of

Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

In Jesus we hope for the Blessings

You've given in Your Word,

lead us out of temptation

and deliver us from evil.

Not in our own righteousness

but in Your Mercy,

Yours is the Kingdom

Yours is the Power

Yours is the Glory.

Thank You, Father, for Jesus.

Amen.

Daniel 4:3

How great are His signs, and how mighty His wonders! 

His kingdom is an eternal kingdom

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay Jesus