Devotion

Unexpected Humility - Pastor Todd Adams

Text: Luke 19:29-44

The fulfillment of prophecy on Palm Sunday points us to the final fulfillment of all that is still to come.  Palm Sunday is documented in all four Gospel accounts (referred to by biblical scholars as “The Harmony of the Gospels”).  The power of biblical prophecy is that God has already fulfilled, continues to fulfill, and will in the future fulfill every single prophecy that He has made.

Here is the prophecy of Zechariah “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” (Zech. 9:9).  Palm Sunday reminds us that God is a promise-keeping God. He is a prophecy-completing God. Unlike fickle people, God follows through on His Word, His promises, and His prophecies. Therefore, we can wholly trust this prophecy-keeping God.

II Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

The very reality of Palm Sunday is that Jesus had come and fulfilled God’s promise, but most people totally missed Him and many outright rejected Him. Judgment was immanent and eventually came as Rome crushed Jerusalem (Jesus warned them of this).  God had been patient and is still patient and in so many ways we should thank God that we are living in the time of grace (longsuffering). 

You see friends, Jesus didn’t come into the world the way they expected. He didn’t come into Jerusalem the way they wanted, and the world will not be ready when He returns either. Jesus came with such unexpected humility that the hearts and minds of men totally missed The Messiah.  The very animal that Jesus rode on was the humblest of all.  Kings don’t ride on a colt they ride on a stallion.  Yet, Jesus comes meek and lowly displaying His humility and honoring His Father. 

In Zechariah, God’s Word describes for us a human conqueror, but in verse 9 we see a divine conqueror.  A King who will come and will not inspire fear, dread, and doom but rather praise and peace.  A King who is not foreign but faithful.  Although it is often overlooked, there is an even older prophecy that explains why Jesus rode a donkey. Long before Zechariah, Jacob pronounced this blessing on his son Judah: "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch." (Gen. 49:10, 11). Jacob's prophecy meant that Israel's true King would come from the tribe of Judah and that in some way He would be associated with the colt of a donkey.  What is only hinted at in Genesis was made plain in the Gospels: Jesus, the Son of David, from the tribe of Judah, rode into Jerusalem as Israel's rightful King.

As Jesus enters the city, the people are crying out for their King!  Jesus is not entering as a conquering general but a gentle Saviour.  The unexpected humble King had come!

Unexpected Anger - Pastor Nathan Adams

Text: Luke 19:45-46

This account of Jesus cleansing the Temple is recorded in all four Gospels. Clearly, God thinks this is important. During Passover, Jews from all parts of the world would come to the temple to offer sacrifices to the Lord. However, it was impractical for them to carry sacrificial animals over these long distances, so they would often purchase them in Jerusalem, often at a very high price. Additionally, most Jews paid the temple tax during Passover, and money-changers were present to convert common Roman coins into the appropriate currency because Roman money was unacceptable in God’s house. Although these practices were not inherently sinful, they became occasions of sin. Pilgrims had to pay excessive rates to exchange money, and sellers took advantage of the poor, overcharging them for pigeons and doves, which were the poor man's offerings. Furthermore, these merchants set up shop in the Court of the Gentiles, making it impossible to use the place as the intended prayer site due to the merchant commotion.

This outraged the Lord. What was supposed to be a sacred time of sacrifice, worship, prayer, and fellowship with God was turned into a chaotic time of self-serving money-grabbers to take advantage of the poor and those who had to travel long distances. Not only did it desecrate God’s Temple, but it also dishonored those made in God’s Image. All of this was motivated by selfish gain and a heart of prideful superiority. At the core of why this was wrong was because instead of God being at the center of their worship, selfish gain was. What is most striking is that this was an accepted practice.

Sometimes when we read this account of Jesus, it can be a stumbling block because it goes against our view of a gentle savior. It can be difficult to envision the Jesus from the flannel graphs wielding a whip and driving out money changers. It almost goes against our views of what Jesus says in regard to turning the other cheek. The truth is, we find His anger to be unexpected. However, this view of His anger only highlights a lack of recognition of how heinous sin is! When our reaction to God’s response to sin is more concerned with our view of fairness than our reaction to sin itself, something is missing.

We should be thankful that we worship a God who becomes angry at sin! We should not be surprised that God became angry at sin and that He is still angry at sin. His anger points to His holiness and it points to His love.

How do you respond to sin in your life? Do you tend to downplay the seriousness of it in your life? Do you make excuses? Or do you see sin the way God sees it, and let it drive you to the cross, which is the perfect display of His love and His anger? When we minimize sin, we minimize the sacrifice of our Savior. Jesus did not suffer and die for something that is, “Not a big deal.” This Easter season, let the story of the cross not only remind you of God’s love but let it also remind you of the serious nature of sin and how we should personally respond to it in our lives when God reveals it to us.

Unexpected Servitude - Pastor Micah Warren

Text: John 13:1-17

The Passover Supper has ended.  In the Jewish tradition, the responsibility of washing the feet of guests typically fell to a servant. However, in the absence of one, the task fell to the lowest ranking member present. When there was a gathering of men (as in our text), pride often became a factor.  Who would admit to being the “lowest” and wash the feet?  Who would condescend?  Our Lord sees an opportunity to teach them (and us) an unexpected lesson in servitude. 

For one to serve another, there must first be a spirit of humility. The Apostle Paul was perhaps the greatest Christian to ever live and may well have done more for the cause of Christ than any other individual, and this is how he described himself: “Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews” (Acts 20:19).  Jesus did not just describe it in words, He modeled it in life.   

What Jesus did was to dramatize for His disciples the character of His ministry. He was showing them what He came to do and what He was going to send them out to do.  Here is the powerful application. As Christ humbled himself to serve us, so should we humble ourselves to serve one another.  1 Peter 5:5 reads, “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”

In a world of self-centeredness, servanthood, in its purest form, often takes us by surprise, transcending societal norms and expectations. It sees beyond status and hierarchy, moving with unexpected tenderness to meet the needs of others. Despite the pride that often hinders action, servitude breaks through, inviting us to follow the example set by our Lord, who declared, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Indeed, it was this unexpected love that led Him to humble Himself and ultimately lay down His life for all.

Consider the astonishing unexpected demonstrations of love by Jesus.  Despite knowing Judas' impending betrayal, Jesus tenderly washed his feet, showing that servitude extends even to those who may betray us. With James and John, despite their fiery tempers and ambitions, Jesus lovingly washed their feet, revealing that servitude embraces us in our imperfections. Even when faced with Peter's impulsive nature and subsequent denial, Jesus' servitude remained steadfast, offering grace, and extending kindness. And for Thomas, amidst his doubts and uncertainties, Jesus extended patience and unexpected reassurance, showing that unexpected servitude meets us in our moments of doubt.

Our own lives are often filled with unexpected twists and turns. In the unexpected scenarios that unfold regarding our encounters and our relationships, we are called to emulate Jesus' example of servitude, setting aside our preconceptions and biases. Shall we then, refuse to serve those who resemble Judas, John, James, Peter, or Thomas? Jesus' teachings remind us that true greatness lies in unexpected acts of humble service, urging us to follow His example.

Just as Jesus unexpectantly humbled Himself to wash the feet of His disciples, irrespective of their flaws or failings, so too are we called to extend acts of servitude to all, even those – especially those – who do not deserve it. May we continually seek opportunities to follow our Lord’s example. 

Unexpected Answer - Pastor Nathan Adams

Text: Luke 22:40-46

Moments before His betrayal, Jesus knew what was awaiting Him: humiliation, pain, torture, and the wrath of God. It was all coming to a head. With great turmoil and anguish, Jesus cried out to His Father. Throughout the Gospels, a major theme is how much the Father loves His Son. It was proclaimed at His baptism, affirmed on the Mount of Transfiguration, and spoken of by Jesus. The Father has loved the Son since before the foundation of the world. The Father had sent His Son into the world, and now the moment of His pain and death was upon Him.

We see the humanity of Jesus here as He cries out, "Father if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be done." (Luke 22:42) What would the answer be? Would The Father spare His Son from the pain He was about to face? After all, The Father loves the Son! Why would He put Him through this? We know that ultimately, Jesus was not spared from drinking from the cup of wrath. The Father remained silent. We should all be thankful that this is one prayer that God did not answer, “Yes” to. Jesus submitted His will to The Father and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross.

While we may not consider this an unexpected answer because we know the story, we may receive unexpected answers from God when we cry out to Him. How many times have we thought that we know better than God and as a result, we become bitter or full of doubt because He did not do what we thought He should? The most important aspect of Jesus’ will is that He submitted it to The Father. In all of the talks and theological debates about free will, the most important question is, do you submit your will to God’s will?

Sometimes, we evaluate the love of God based on how we think He should treat us. Yet, this story is a reminder that even in His most beloved, His will is still best and most loving, even if it doesn’t seem best at the time. Have you ever received an unexpected answer from God? How did you respond? Did you allow it to make you bitter or angry? Did it cause doubt or defiance? Or did you do what Jesus did, and live with the mindset of, “Nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be done”?

We must remember that what we see, what we want, and what we feel, are so much different from what God sees. His thoughts and ways are higher than ours. When the Lord moves in unexpected ways, allows things to happen, or doesn’t answer our prayers the way we think He should, be reminded of Jesus in the Garden. God told His Son, “No,” so that He could bring more sons to glory. You may never know what God’s “no” will produce in your life. We must trust Him. Even in His “no” God is still merciful. In the text, it says that an angel was sent to strengthen Him. This is yet another reminder that while God will not always spare us from a trial, He will strengthen us in the midst of trials.

Unexpected Trade - Pastor Nathan Adams

Text: John 18:39-40

The public's opinion of Jesus changed rapidly from shouting, "Hosanna" to shouting, "Crucify Him" in a matter of days. During this time, we meet the character of Pilate, who is more concerned with public opinion than the truth. He scoffs at The Truth by saying, "What is truth?" In a last-ditch effort to release Jesus, he offers a trade. Every Passover, it was customary for him to release one prisoner, hoping that perhaps they would want Jesus and the whole ordeal would be over. Pilate thought he could exploit some loophole and get his hands clean of this whole mess while still holding onto his precious reputation. However, this quickly backfired when the crowds insisted that a different prisoner be set free - Barabbas.

We don’t know much about Barabbas except that he was on death row for being a rebel, murderer, and insurrectionist. He was someone who was trying to shake off the oppression of Rome in his own power, without the Messiah. He would have to face a horrible death as a result. Yet, when the time came, the people decided that Jesus should be the one to die instead. Jesus, the one who was sent from Heaven. The one who opened blind eyes, opened deaf ears, healed the sick, cleansed the leper, and cast out demons. This Jesus is the one they thought deserved to be killed.

As we read this story, the trade that takes place here is striking: Jesus vs. Barabbas. The answer is obviously Jesus! We can be puzzled by the decision of the crowds, but let's take a step back. How many times have you traded Jesus for something less? Jesus says clearly, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." - John 14:15. Every time we choose to sin, we are loving something else more than we love Jesus. When we sin, we make the same trade that the crowds made on the day of the crucifixion.

This is a vivid picture of what sin does. Sin twists our desires, hardens our hearts, and darkens our understanding. Sin causes us to want the wrong things, love the wrong things, and think the wrong things. It was because the crowds would choose Barabbas over Jesus that Jesus had to come in the first place! We do the same thing, and it is for this reason that He came.

The truth is, we make this awful trade daily. We do this in small ways every day, and unfortunately, we have all done this in big ways. We are faced with a trade: an affair vs. Jesus, greed and selfish gain vs. Jesus, convenience vs. Jesus, my reputation vs. Jesus. This is a decision we have to make daily.

In the midst of all of this, let’s be reminded that the most unexpected trade is not that we choose sin over Jesus, but that God chose to treat Jesus like Barabbas so that He could treat Barabbas like Jesus. The most unexpected trade is that Jesus took the wrath we deserved, and we get to be called sons of God. This Easter season, remind yourself that while we daily trade Jesus for our sin, it was Jesus who has traded places with you.

Unexpected Assignment - Pastor Chad Houghton

Text: Luke 23:25-27

Have you ever seen one of those guys carrying a cross on their back up and down a major road like S.R. 52 or Little Road? It usually has a wheel on the bottom of the cross so they can roll it while they’re still partially bearing the weight. Have you ever wondered, like I have, if that is really effective? I love the idea that they are unashamed to be identified with the cross, I love the idea that it probably is a great conversation starter to tell people about Jesus, but I wonder if there is a more effective way to testify.

Let’s read our text for today: “And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.” There is much speculation about who this guy is, where he came from, and why he was chosen to bear this cross. Most commentators agree the reason he was there in the first place was because he was a follower of Jesus. One thing we do know, these Roman soldiers weren’t taking a load off of Jesus because they were concerned about His pain, they just didn’t want Him to die before He arrived at Golgotha. This was not a request made by the Roman soldiers, this man was grabbed and “voluntold!” That is a Greek word for, “He had no choice.” So, what does God want us to learn from this? Why did God allow this to be put in His Word?

Am I willing to be associated with Jesus?

This question isn’t meant to make you try and prove it, it’s to cause us to truly evaluate how comfortable we would be if someone walked up to us and said, “Hey, you’re one of those Jesus followers, aren’t you?” Try and pretend you were in Peter's shoes that night when that lady came up to him in associated him with Jesus. Would we deny that, or would we embrace it? I realize we can talk a big game, and so did Peter, but the proof of our association with Jesus is found within this next question.

Am I willing to share the Gospel of Jesus?

Some days following Jesus won’t always mean that we can articulate the Gospel and give someone the plan of salvation. Some days it will be “carrying the cross.” But a valid question to ask ourselves is, “Am I willing?” Another question to ask is, “When was the last time I did share the Gospel?” Maybe we need to have one of those “UNEXPECTED” conversations that Pastor Todd has been talking about.

Is there anything in my life that shows I’m associated with Jesus?

This question is similar to the first one, but different at the same time. It’s one thing to be willing, but it’s another thing when people can see something in your life that separates you from the world and associates you with Jesus. They may not know it’s Jesus, they just know you’re different. Now, I can walk around wearing my “JESUS IS KING“  T-shirt, and I do that quite often, but that’s not what I’m talking about. If we are following Jesus closely, there will be evidences that make us stand out.

Unexpected Promise - Pastor Greg McClure

Text: Luke 23:39-43

Unexpected Resurrection - Pastor Todd Adams

Text: Matthew 28:1-15; Luke 24:1-12