Passages: John 12:1–13:38, Proverbs 9
They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!” (John 12:13).
Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” (John 12:17-19)
People are simply drawn to the LORD. In John 12:13-17, we see an excited crowd welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem. They literally ran toward Him shouting, “Save!” They were crying for salvation, while at the same time screaming a declaration of praise. Why? The word had spread. Only a short time before, Jesus had performed a miraculous work. He had raised His friend Lazarus from the dead. The crowd who actually witnessed this miracle could not stay quiet. They had to tell their friends, who told their friends, and so on and so forth.
The city of Jerusalem was brimming with people who had heard the good news and received it well. They wanted to be where Jesus was; see what He could do. Can you remember being on that receiving end? Do you remember what it felt like to be invited by a friend to church for the very first time? Do you remember the sheer electricity that went through your body when you accepted Christ? Do you remember what it felt like when you first heard the LORD’s voice, or, what about when He last poured an incomprehensible amount of blessings upon your life? Could you not help but tell someone?
Let yourself be challenged in the coming week to rekindle that feeling of excitement if you have lost it. If you are a Christ-follower, then you have a miraculous story to tell; a story about the love and wonder of our LORD that others are dying to hear.
