Key Passage
The followers brought the donkey to Jesus. The followers put their coats on the donkey, and Jesus sat on it. Many people spread their coats on the road for Jesus. Other people cut branches in the fields and spread the branches on the road.
— Mark 11:7-8 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
While an unknown owner supplied the colt on which Jesus rode (See the previous verses), many in the crowd offered their coats to welcome and honor Jesus as he came into town. Others spread branches showing their honor and respect for the Christ. It is a great moment of worship, celebration, and joy. However, the real test of the crowd’s loyalty will come in the days that lie ahead for Jesus. Like Christians who celebrate God’s grace, Jesus’ love, and the Spirit’s power on Sunday, the real heart of worship will not be found in the crowds who share the same faith and look on Jesus with joyous admiration. No, the real test will come in the dark hours of trial when our faith is confronted by another, more hostile, crowd. Should we share in the joy of Jesus’ glory with those that share our faith? Absolutely! However, we must realize the real test of that faith and the authenticity of our worship will be determined by what we do when confronted by the darkness and the hostile crowd!
Prayer
O LORD God Almighty, may my life during the week match my worship words on Sunday. Help me in my heart to realize that what I do each day is an integral part of my worship. I want to honor you with my heart, soul, mind, and strength every day of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures
So brothers and sisters, I beg you to do something. God has shown us great mercy. So offer your lives as a living sacrifice to God. Your offering must be only for God and will be pleasing to him. This offering of yourselves is the spiritual way for you to worship (serve) God. Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world. But let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what things are good and pleasing to God and what things are perfect.
— Romans 12:1-2
The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place. He offers that blood for sins. But the bodies of those animals are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the city. Jesus died to make his people holy with his own blood (death). So we should go to Jesus outside the camp. We should accept the same shame that Jesus had. Here on earth we don’t have a city that continues forever. But we are waiting for the city that we will have in the future. So through Jesus we should never stop offering our sacrifice to God. That sacrifice is our praise, coming from lips that speak his name. And don’t forget to do good for other people. And share with other people. These are the sacrifices that please God.
— Hebrews 13:11-16
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw my Master. He was sitting on a very high and wonderful throne. His long robe filled the temple. Seraph angels stood around the Lord. Each Seraph angel had six wings. The angels used two of their wings to cover their faces. The angels used two of their wings to cover their feet. And the angels used two of their wings for flying. Each angel was calling to the other angels. The angels said, “Holy, holy, holy, the Lord All-Powerful {is very holy}. His Glory fills the whole earth.” The angels’ voices were very loud. Their voices caused the frame around the door to shake.
Then the temple began filling with smoke. I became very scared. I said, “Oh, no! I will be destroyed. I am not pure (good) enough to speak to God. And I live among people that are not pure enough to speak to God. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord All-Powerful.” {There was a fire on the altar. } One of the Seraph angels used a pair of tongs to take a hot coal from the fire. The angel flew to me with the hot coal in his hand. The Seraph angel touched my mouth with the hot coal. Then the angel said, “Look! Because this hot coal touched your lips the wrong things you have done are gone from you. Your sins are now erased.” Then I heard my Lord’s voice. The Lord said, “Who can I send? Who will go for us?” So I said, “Here I am. Send me!”
— Isaiah 6:1-8
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