Weekly Devotional 4.14.2025

Hosanna in the Highest: The Triumphal Entry

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9

Yesterday, we celebrated Palm Sunday, when Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem. When Jesus enters, He comes as a conquering King, yet He redefines what this looks like. Instead of a warhorse, He rides in on a humble donkey. Jesus arrived with far less than what other kings possessed, but His power and authority were far more significant—Christ the King is the ruler over an eternal kingdom. The crowds quickly became lost in the pomp and circumstance of the Passover festivities, failing to recognize Jesus as the Messianic king. As Christians, we can easily lose ourselves in the celebration of the season, missing the person and work of Jesus. This Easter, what will you celebrate more? Will you worship Jesus alongside the crowds but turn away when the celebration ends?

This is an important season in the life of the church as we make our way to Holy Week. Lent is a journey toward death. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he was trying to sidetrack him from death. But in being faithful to God, Jesus was moving toward death. We take up our crosses as well.

Death is not something to be avoided at all costs, but because we are resurrection people, we are promised a new life- a new heaven and new earth with no more brokenness and death. As believers, we need not fear death. Our future is sure.

On the cusp of Holy Week, we’re going to reflect on a death in the life of Moses. Last week, we looked at Moses’ discouragement and today we come to the end of his story in Deuteronomy 34:1-8.

As Moses comes to the end of his life- God takes him up on Mount Nebo and shows him the Promised Land. He dies at the age of 120 and God mysteriously buries him. There are some things that Moses does before he dies:

• Moses was prepared. He blessed the future leaders and put everything in order.
• Moses told the truth to the people. He told them about the trials and temptations that they would encounter. He even gave them a song to help them remember and implored them to choose life.
• Moses blesses the tribes. Like Moses, we can make sure that we bless our families, friends, our children.

Moses doesn’t die alone and Moses doesn’t die in fear. We don’t have to be afraid either as we have the resurrection promise of new life.

What matters at the end - for Moses and for us - is that before our time comes, we need to make sure we have presented ourselves before God to follow Jesus as Lord, so that the Lord knows us. That’s the most essential part of being prepared for what’s next.

In our scripture passage today, we see Moses dealing with the Israelites complaining. To be fair to the Israelites, they have left the only home they ever knew and have been wandering in the desert for a long time.

But here they complain about the manna God has given them. They describe the different types of food they had in Egypt and they long to return to slavery!

Moses has had enough of the people’s complaining and he lays his burdens on God. He asks God to kill him so that he doesn’t have to deal with his current predicament!

3 big forces are pressing in on Moses:

He feels constant criticism.

He feels the feeling of a crushing burden.

He feels alone.

The most important thing that Moses does in this passage is that he presents his feelings to God. He is honest with God. When Moses does this, God provides for him. This is an example for all of us.

God is at work far beyond what Moses can see. He is also at work in OUR life far beyond what we can see. Ask him for his help. He is with us. We are not alone.

Jesus came not to give us burdens, but to bear our burdens. That is the beauty of his grace. He gives us rest. He provides. Trust him.