Shiloh Baptist Church

So in less than a week, I had already offended God two more times for sure, and more if He was doing the counting. And I really struggle with what to do, in light of the recent Sermons that Pastor has been preaching, and the Bible Studies that he has been teaching focusing on our Sin Nature. The study has been gut-wrenching because its truth has punched us where we’re most vulnerable; our opinion of ourselves. And indeed we are in a terrible struggle when we realize like Pastor says, that the potential to do everything that God saved us from, is still in us.

Our sin nature is our natural leaning to offend God. I don’t mean to re-preach the sermon, but we have all been delivered from the penalty of Sin if we have given our life to Christ. We are new creatures and old things are passed away. We may look new, and walk new, and talk new, but our old nature is still very much subject to active duty. But, until we are confronted we deceive ourselves. We’re comfortable knowing that God provided a covering for Adam & Eve so that they would not stand before Him in shame, and we learned that there are consequences to Sin.

So in preparation for the on-coming, impending weather, we go out and buy yet another shovel. We stock u the fridge and cabinets with groceries because what we have in the house already obviously is not enough. We tune our snowblowers and store up salt and sand, and we lay out our hats, boots, and gloves, just in case. But if you’re like me, you pray for a snow day, so you don’t have to get out at all. Either way, having been warned, we prepare and we wait, in anticipation of the storm.

“And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out saying, ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And the multitude rebuked them because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And Jesus stood still and called them and said, “What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto Him, Lord that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion them and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethlehem, and were come to Bethpage, unto the mount of olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find a donkey tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me, And if any man may say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them: and straightway he will send them.”

Matthew 20:29-24; 21:1-3 KJV

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the capital of Palestine, He modeled a new style for handling acclaim from the crowd. The city was wild with excitement during its peak season of tourists and celebration. In fulfillment of the prophecies of Zechariah (9:9) and Isaiah (62:11), instead of a parade of chariots and trumpets and great pomp and circumstance, Jesus rode into town on a donkey, a common beast of burden. No fancy entourage, he was accompanied only by a small band of common fisherman, two men, once blind but could now see, and even a former tax collector. It was the parade of parades for the common folk. When he got there he went into the place of worship (21:12-13) where everything but worship was taking place. He overthrew the tables of unjust business. He focused on the blind, the lame, and the children (21:14-16) and when he had completed the day’s tasks he spent the night in Bethany (21:17). Jesus’ final activities before his death were focused on those readiest to head of His love, forgiveness, and hope.