Read Matthew 21:1-11

Chapter 21 begins with Christ entering Jerusalem. As the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 said, he came in on the foal of a donkey. But what I want to focus on is what comes a little later… what the crowd was shouting: "Hosanna!" Have you ever considered the meaning of the term "Hosanna?" This word is also used in Mark and John's accounts of this story, and it can be summed up like this, "Hooray! Salvation is here!" Our English word for Hosanna is derived from the Hebrew word ho-si-ah, which means "help, save, receive or accept help, be victorious." We see this very clearly in Psalm 118:25-26 (go read it). The people were proclaiming  "Jesus is here to save us, our King has arrived, He is coming to set us free!" Jesus was the one they had been waiting for…for centuries… and now, finally, He had arrived!

Similarly, our hearts, and all of creation (Romans 8:19-23), have been waiting to be set free from the bondage of sin. Our Savior has arrived! Just as the prophecies said He would, so we'd know He was the right one! Though to be fair most of the people thought Jesus was coming to be a political or military leader, which is why later in the week they would yell, "crucify Him!" But thankfully we know the whole story and we know He has come to take away our sin and restore the relationship between God and man that was lost at the fall. He has come!

The triumphal entry of Christ brings joy to my heart. Does this story excite you? How does your understanding of Jesus relate to those excitedly shouting, "Our savior has arrived?" Think about your answers. Then spend some time in prayer asking God to give you a deeper appreciation, love, and excitement for our Savior and what He did for us.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” - Hebrews 4:12

Dear Lakeside

As Easter quickly approached, I found myself longing for two things. First, that I would be drawn closer to our Lord so that my heart may be revived again. And second, that you, my church family, would experience the same thing. At the time of writing, I was reading Matthew 21 in my daily devotional time, and the words of scripture gripped my heart. I was wrecked by God's Word, and He truly restored in me a love and appreciation for what He has done for us all through Christ on the cross. Then as I continued to read, study, and be moved by the events leading to Jesus' death and resurrection, I knew that I wanted y'all to experience this with me.

The following 8-day devotion is something that I have compiled for you (with the help of many commentators and friends) so that we all might pause from our busy lives and spend some extra time in His Word.

I pray that you fall deeper in love with Jesus this week.

Love,
Brother Andrew

Tips:
I know you are capable of figuring this out on your own, but if you would like to read more than the short excerpts I have given below, check out Matthew 21-28, Mark 11-16, Luke 19-24, and John 12-21.
If you have a Bible with cross-references, check those out throughout the readings. I think you'll be blown away by how much the Bible connects.