Transformed – teen devotion – December 3, 2023
One truth shared: Having the right expectations for Jesus shapes our anticipation for his coming!
When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Mark 11:7-10
He Is Coming to Save Us
Our entire perspective on whether something is good or bad can hinge on the expectations we had going into it. The season of Advent helps us to look forward to the coming of our King, Jesus. Having the correct expectations for Jesus can keep us from becoming disappointed or disenchanted. What kind of a king are you looking for in Jesus?
- Some expect for Jesus to bring them earthly health and success. They have the expectation that if they follow him and serve him, then earthly success and health will come to them.
- Others expect from Jesus a richness of earthly blessings like luxury and ease.
- Still others expect that following Jesus means there will be no hardships or challenges or sad times or loss. When you look to him as the one who can take away physical problems, it is disheartening when those problems continue.
It’s easy to come to Jesus with all the wrong expectations and, like the crowd on the first Palm Sunday, become disappointed and disenchanted.
The crowd had it correct when they shouted, “Hosannah,” which means, “Come and save us.” This is exactly the reason for which Jesus came to this earth! He came here to save us. The hard part of recognizing this truth is that it begs the question: Do we need saving? The hard truth is: Yes, we do. It helps shape our expectations this Christmas. A newborn King enters our world so that he might be the King who fights for us. Jesus could see everything on the way into Jerusalem and everything on his path to the cross. He saw the battlefield and the satanic forces of evil facing him. And then, he saw you. He heard your cry, “Come save me!” What motivated Jesus from his cradle to his cross? It was you—his love for you.
What a King we have! As we prepare to celebrate the coming of our King, let’s make sure that our expectations are in the correct place. We are celebrating a King who came to save us!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending into this world the exact King that we needed to save us from our sins. Keep our eyes focused on him as the only one who defeated the devil and offers eternal life. Help us to continue to do battle against our sinful nature, the world and the devil himself. Keep us safe eternally as we look forward to the joys of heaven that we will enjoy with our King. Amen.
