For this short Passover season, and beyond, we are pausing our Restoration season for now. There are 10 chapters to that series. It would only be proper to walk out this celebration with the Word, as we have done for many years. Those journeys have been so profound and I anticipate that this series also will have its insights.
Today precisely we celebrate the entry of Jerusalem of Jesus, upon a donkey, and in the image above we catch a little of the significance of this event. However as I meditated upon this my mind was guided to a pattern which I believe would enrich our understanding. Psalm 24 talks to us about letting in the King of Glory, yet this entry into Jerusalem seems all contradictory. It had all the flavour of the entry of the King. Yet elements that came to confuse stopped any kind of proclamation or revolution. Only those so discerning would recognise the type of entry this was. Psalm 24 David describes the entry of the King of Glory. In the Triumphal Entry story, was no less glorious, but it needed the discernment of those who witnessed it. I remember about 2 years ago bringing a message which brought a perspective concerning Psalm 22,23,24. I saw a connection then, it brought great impact to those who heard it. Today I believe these Psalms to be a pattern.
However as I began to recall the whole Passover narrative I sensed we were walking the Psalms backwards so that in His Ascension it can be walked out in the proper order. Many would believe this to be a unnecessary and useless detail. However, when I see these things, I find them enriching, because they demand a deeper pursuit of God in them.
We open the Passover week with the Triumphal Entry, which has a parallel with Psalm 24, then we have certain elements across the Passover week, the Last Supper being Psalm 23, and the Crucifixion being Psalm 22. How does it apply to us, because in completing this order this way, we can get our starting point in Psalm 22, in our salvation and our citizenship into the Kingdom, then enjoy the elements of Psalm 23, so that in Psalm 24, we prepare to walk in the light of the Kingly Christ.
For today I am presenting the pattern as I perceive it. The Entry into Jerusalem marking the last preparations for completing the full Redemption work. Yet there are elements which do not serve political or religious aspirations of that time. A donkey symbolizing humility, is a central feature, with its foal, 2 animals, representing 2 generations. Jesus is making a statement to what He had declared in Luke 19, that within 2 generations, the city of Jerusalem would be ransacked and the Temple destroyed, the people spread over the earth. This entry of Jesus was not appealing to any earthly aspirations, rather for those so discerning, bringing from heaven new ones.
All over the Christian world, in the Churches, this event is remembered, but in different ways, but I sense it must be discerned out. Are we ready to receive the Kingly Jesus? Are we ready to look beyond apparent contradictions and opinions to discern His coming? Psalm 24 likens it to lifting up and opening Everlasting Doors. There has to be a preparation: “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?” Opening statement of Psalm 24. If we can ascend His Hill, then we can discern Him when He descends. This ascending described is a spiritual purification and preparation. His descending is physical to bring the fullness of His Kingdom. What we are pointing to is what traditionally is known as the 2nd Coming.
We need to ask ourselves that if He descends, what do we expect Him to do? Do we expect Him to give continuity to our earthly structures? Or bring a political solution to social problems? I would hasten to answer no. I believe both the world and the Church has missed the substance of the preparation to Jesus descending. This is a generalisation, being that the problems throughout the world have arisen for vacuums that the Church has allowed to exist where the enemy has been able to reign.
The answer to “who shall ascend” is given here. Hands denote our doing, what our heart dictates. Clean, being the purity of motive here. Vanity is meaning making our soul lifted to things other than God, but even to ourselves, or that which we accomplish and make. Nor speaking what is fraudulent. This is our qualifier, our hands, our heart and our tongue. 3 main avenues that we will be purified in.
This is that season, in which these 3 areas are being tried now. That which our hands have been occupied in, will be evaluated in the hour of His visitation (Luke 19), whether these works were serving the priorities of the Kingdom. Whether our heart has been focused on Jesus, perfecter of our faith.
Then what we preach and swear to in the Word must be for the objective of edifying and equipping the saints.
We have been speaking in the realm of the Triumphal Entry, and throughout the week we will look at the parallels between what Jesus walked out in the Passover in the light of Psalms 22,23,24. In this way we will be able to apply these same Psalms into our lives. Jesus walked them out from 24,23,22 so we can live them out in their proper order. This we shall investigate this week. I know that as we journey we will be able to apply and experience the blessings of them. We will indeed pass over from one degree of faith to another.
Maranatha!
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