April 19

Joshua 19:1-20:9, Luke 19:28-48, Psalm 88:1-18, Proverbs 13:12-14

Pray: Father, help me to examine why I do what I do in light of Your WORD. Help me to be sensitive to the times I’m living in and to correctly discern the hearts of men.

Read: Luke 19 starting with verse 38 declares: “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" This is the story of what we call Palm Sunday where the people of Israel were calling Jesus their king. One week later these same crowds would be crying out, “Crucify Him!” How does one go from being called “the King” to being called a “traitor” in just one week? In this passage Jesus didn’t speak of His kingship. Nor did He speak of His impending crucifixion. Jesus spoke about the destruction that would come upon Jerusalem and the crushing death toll of men, women, and children that would soon follow. Jesus went on to say, “You don’t understand the way of peace and now it is too late.”

Edify: What or who is the way of peace? Israel had repeatedly rejected Jesus while He walked the earth. Only a select few had said yes. What Israel had chosen instead of Jesus was religious law, custom, and tradition. It is not going to church that saves us. It is the God of the church who saves us! It is not where we go but who we know. Jesus is the King of Peace. Law, custom, and traditions lead only to war. We need to let the peace that passes understanding rule our hearts rather than the ups (Palm Sunday) and downs (Good Friday) of life.

Practice: Are there some laws, traditions, or customs that are getting in the way of you following peace? Have you really thought through Christmas? Have you considered Easter? What should a church service look like?