Passion – Word for the Soul

Read: Matthew 21:1-11 NIV – Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King – As – Bible Gateway

“The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” Matthew 21:9 NIV

This week we enter Holy Week (Passion Week) as is referred to by Christians across the world. It starts with the celebration of Palm Sunday when Christ made His triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem. Perhaps you attended services yesterday where this was the sermon for the week. It began with a light of freedom on Sunday for the followers of Jesus who laid down palm branches before Him as He rode into Jerusalem. It ended in darkness for those followers who were looking for a king to overthrow Rome and grant them independence and economic freedom. But that is not the whole story and Jesus came to earth.

The story begins in the gospel of John chapter 1 where it says, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it……The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” (Jn.1:4-5, 9-11 niv) John wrote the ‘true light’ was coming into the world to give us light in this dark world. All of us in the world have scales of darkness over our eyes because of sin. We can only see darkness around us in this world in which we live controlled by the evil one. Jesus came as the light of the world to remove the scales from our eyes, taking us from darkness into the light and granting us salvation through His death, burial, and resurrection.

The crowd laying down their cloaks and palm branches had it half right when they shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David.’ Jesus is the Son of David who came in the name of the Lord, but He came to save mankind from the darkness of sin, not freedom from evil governments and the darkness of the world. We live in a dark world, but every Christian has the light of Christ within them to display before others and to lead us in the direction He wants us to go.

“But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, ‘I believed in God, so I spoke.’” 2 Corinthians 4:13 NLT

What are you passionate about? How passionate are you in what you believe in? What does it take for others to know where your passions lie? If you’re like me, my passions become clear to others as we engage in conversations about issues in life that are dear to me. Being somewhat of an introvert, it is obvious when hitting on a subject that I’m passionate about it’s hard not to notice.

The last few years been anything but normal across the globe, but particularly here in the United States. Individual passions have risen to a new level. One’s belief system is being tested and demonstrated as never before. That is not to say that they are not legitimate. Expressing one’s beliefs and passions about right and wrong, justice and injustice, and racial inequality is something all Christians need to be involved in. But with that being said, what is number one on your passion list, myself included. What is the most important thing you believe in?

The apostle Paul quoting from the Old Testament to the church in Corinth, says “I believe in God, so I spoke.” This was Paul’s number one passion, presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ in a clear and understanding manner to those around him. This serves as an example for every Christian to make this the number one priority above everything else. Yes, we are to support the efforts to secure peace and justice, and it starts by sharing Jesus Christ with the world. All the world’s problems are due to sin. America has a sin problem. It is due to the fact that ‘we the people’ are sinners. The world has a sin problem because, “…..all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23)

The overriding issue above all others in the world today and here in America is the need for individuals to acknowledge their sin before God, confess and repent, accepting His Son, Jesus Christ, for salvation. For those of us who have done this, it is time to live righteously and godly in every area of our life. Our lives in this world are but a vapor, soon to be gone. Let us do what we can while the vapor is still visible living by God’s standards. If we truly believe in God, then let us speak. It is the most important message you can speak today, and the world needs to hear it. Christians, if we believe in God, then let us speak.

Read Paul’s encouragement to Christians sharing the gospel during tough times;

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+4%3A7-15&version=NLT

Tag: Passion

Light to Dispel the Darkness

I believe in God, so I spoke