I saved this post especially for today - Palm Sunday. Most of the time we would be at church, waving our palms. For some that would be actual palm branches, for some it would the palms of our hands. We celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. John 12:12-16 says, "On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him."
This is one of many prophecy that Jesus fulfilled. Zechariah 9:9 says, "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."
Poor Man's Commentary by Robert Hawker says:
It is worthy remark, that the four Evangelists all notice this triumphal entrance of Christ into Jerusalem, five days before his death as if to testify the prophecy concerning it. (Isaiah 62:11 and Zechariah 9:9.) And it is worthy of still further remark, that none but Christ ever made such a public entry, and therefore the conclusion is undeniable. Behold! how distinguished from every other king, is Zion’s king. No trumpets, no gorgeous apparel, no courtly attendants, but as the Lord himself was meek and lowly, every accommodation corresponded to the humble appearance! Such was, and is, Jesus!
We are not gathering in our churches today, but we can still rejoice. We can raise our hands in worship in our homes because our King came. We have no need to fear, Jesus fulfilled every prophecy concerning Him. I'm borrowing some notes that Les has used in our Adult Sunday school class. This table shows the odds of one man fulfilling just one of the Old Testament prophecies:
Old
Testament Prophecy
|
New
Testament Fulfillment
|
Probability
|
Christ
to be born in Bethlehem
(Micah 5:2) |
And
Herod asked where Christ had been born ... they answered Bethlehem
(Matt 2:4-6) |
2.8 x
105 or 1 in 280,000
|
Forerunner
of Christ
(Malachi 3:1) |
1 x
103 or 1 in 1,000
|
|
Christ
to enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey
(Zech 9:9) |
Christ
enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey
(Matt 21:4-11) |
1 x
102 or 1 in 100
|
1 x
103 or 1 in 1,000
|
||
Judas
sold out Jesus for 30 pieces of silver
(Matt 26:15) |
1 x
103 or 1 in 1,000
|
|
30
pieces of silver used to buy a potter's field
(Matt 27:3-10) |
1 x
105 or 1 in 100,000
|
|
Although
innocent, Christ kept silent when on trial
(Isaiah 53:7) |
1 x
103 or 1 in 1,000
|
|
Jesus
was crucified
(John 19:17, 18) |
1 x
104 or 1 in 10,000
|
The odds of one man fulfilling ALL of the prophecies listed are
1 in 1 x 1028
Or:
1 in 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (I don't even know what that number is called!)
Or:
If you covered the state of California in quarters over 5 feet deep and painted just ONE of them red. The odds of finding that quarter on your first try are the same as Jesus fulfilling all these prophecies.
Add the virgin birth, and the odds go from improbable to truly impossible.
Fear not! He did it! Rejoice! He did it! We don't have to be in a church house to celebrate our King. He came, He died, He was buried, and He rose again. Fear not!
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