Triumphal Entry (Pt 2)

John 1:11 (ESV)

[11] He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

Why would Jesus’ own people reject him? They had seen his miracles. They had heard his teaching. They had heard that he raised Lazarus from the dead. In fact John 12:18 says that at the time of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, “The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign,” (i.e. raising Lazarus).  When Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd, the chief priests and scribes began to plot his death (see Lk 19:47). They knew his power. They knew his message. They knew his claims, yet they rejected him.

The Pharisees and lawyers (scribes) rejected God’s purpose for themselves because of previous choices they had made. Luke 7.30 says, “the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by [John].” Their early decision to reject John led them to reject Jesus as well.  The choices we make start us down a road that we did not necessarily intend to walk, but the longer we walk it the more convinced we are that we cannot change paths. Our previous choices begin to define us.

The good news is that it is never to late to change paths. Not all the Pharisees rejected Jesus. Nicodemus came to Jesus in John 3. Saul was a trained Pharisee (see Ph’p 3:5) who passionately persecuted the church, yet his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus transformed him. He abandoned the path he was walking and became Paul the Apostle. It is never too late to change paths. Our previous choices do not have to define us.

Neither our passions nor our previous choices and decisions need define who we are. The King who raised Lazarus from the dead, the King who rode triumphantly into Jerusalem to die in order to conquer death through his own resurrection, that King can transform minds, hearts, and lives. It is never too late to switch paths.

A simple expression of faith starts the journey down a whole new road for our lives. “Father God, I know that I do not deserve your forgiveness. I realize that there is nothing I can do to endear myself to you or earn your favor. But I believe that Jesus took all my pain, all my baggage, all my brokenness, all my sin to the cross. I believe that he rose from the dead in victory over sin. I believe that you will accept me because of Jesus. I believe.” It is not the words that save us. There is nothing magical about that prayer. It is simple faith that God will accept you because of Jesus that puts you on a new path. If you are a believer, celebrate God’s victory today. If you are not a believer, trust him today. It is never too late to change paths.