◄ What Does Mark 11:10 Mean? ►

It was John the Baptist who challenged Israel to repent of their sins and to turn back to God, because their long-awaited Messiah had arrived. Their prophesied King of Righteousness had come to earth to set up His kingdom, as recorded in Old Testament Scripture. The promised kingdom of their father David was at hand - King Jesus was in their midst.

The angelic host announced good news of great joy and salvation to a waiting world when Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, because the time of Israel's visitation had drawn near. Nearly thirty years later, Jesus was identified by John the Baptist as the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world. John was the voice crying in the wilderness, "prepare ye the way of the Lord, for the kingdom of heaven is near," for God's appointed King was in their midst!

Jesus was Israel's promised Messiah, and He had come to set up His royal kingdom of peace and prosperity, as was promised to Abraham and prophesied by holy men of God. Although the nation of Israel was in deep distress, Jesus was God's anointed Sovereign, Who was to rule and reign in righteousness - and He will rule and reign with a rod of iron.

Many in Israel asked excitedly, "is this the Messiah? Is Jesus the son of David? Is this the One that was prophesied of old? Is this the Seed of Abraham?" And many recognised Him to be that promised One from God, and cried out, "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David. Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord - Hosanna in the highest!"

Christ's royal birth in the regal city of Bethlehem, together with the many prophesied signs and wonders He performed during His three-year ministry, authenticated His Messianic mission and verified His kingly claims to the throne of His father, David - great David's greater Son.

The Lord had promised to raise up a Prophet like Moses and a faithful Priest after the order of Melchizedek, who would do according to the perfect will of the almighty Creator. And God had also promised to raise up, for his servant David, a righteous Branch Who would be the perfect Man after God's own heart. He would be God's righteous King, Who would be enthroned in the city of Zion and would save His people from their sins.

The kingdom of God was to come to earth, through the nation of Israel, and it was to be set up in king David's holy city of Jerusalem. God's sovereign rule was to be established on earth, and Jesus was to set up His millennial kingdom over all His creation. God's anointed King was Jesus, for He was both the root and the offspring of Israel's great king David, as promised by the Word of the Lord.

And so, following His triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, when Jesus rode into the city of David on the back of a little donkey, the crowd cried out in joyful chorus, "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!" - as foretold by the prophet Zechariah.

The shocking rejection of their Messiah and King, His illegal trials and cruel crucifixion on a Roman cross, caused the longed-for time of peace and prosperity, under the rulership of God's anointed King, to be postponed for a season. Indeed, the kingdom of God has already been on hold for almost 2000 years, as God continues to forward His redemptive plans and purposes through the Christian Church on earth today.

But the day is coming when the nation of Israel will recognise their terrible sin against their God and Messiah, and repent of their sin. The day is approaching when Israel as a nation, will call out to the Lord for the forgiveness of their sin and the salvation of their soul.

Christ will return with all His holy ones - the Christian Church, to set up His kingdom and to re-establish the throne of David on earth - when the whole nation of Israel will recognise their Messiah and once again cry out for salvation, "Hosanna to the Son of David - Save us, Lord Jesus. Blessed is HE, Who comes in the name of the Lord."

Heavenly Father, what amazing grace, that You should send Your only begotten Son to come to earth as the heavenly Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world, and also as the human son of king David, Who will set up a kingdom of peace and prosperity on earth. Thank You that You loved the world so much that You chose to send Your Son to die on the Cross so that we might live. Thank You that Your plan of redemption does not exclude anyone, Jew or Gentile, and all who call on the name of the Lord in faith will be saved. Help me to live my life in a way that honours Your name, and thank You that all Your plans and purposes for the salvation of mankind, and the restoration of the world, are 'Yes' and 'Amen' in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Jesus' name, AMEN.