Palm Sunday. 🌿The day Jesus made His valiant entry into Jerusalem… en route to accomplishing the most love-moving sacrifice one could make. To give His life for us… as our King… as our God.

As the Messiah sent to die for the sins of the world, this sacrifice would not be happenstance but rather a sacrifice He planned all along. Before He ever created the world.

Revelation 13:8 says Jesus is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

On Palm Sunday, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem headed for the cross symbolically reveals Him as an unbreakable King. A King who will defy the power of death…. for His people He loves. ❤︎

We read about this in Mark chapter 11.

In this passage Jesus is preparing to enter into the holy city and He asks the disciples to find Him a mode of transportation.

“Jesus said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a young donkey tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it.”
Mark 11:2

What I love about the disciples in this passage is that they obey Jesus full of faith and willingness. At this point they have followed Him for 3 years and they’ve observed His power and wisdom enough to know that Jesus knows what He is doing. So they go.  “And they went away and found a donkey tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it.” Mark 11:4

When we know God can be trusted, we can go forward with confidence in anything He asks of us. Sometimes God’s ways are peculiar but there’s always a reason.

As I read this passage I wondered what His reason was this time… why Jesus did you ride in on a young donkey and not a horse? You could have ridden on anything.

He said… It’s bones would not be broken.

This is so powerful…

Young donkeys can only carry so much weight. The donkey was not strong enough to carry adults for a long period or it would break its back. But when Jesus rode it, its back did not break. It’s stamina multiplied exponentially.

How could that happen?

Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey that had never been ridden before…. whose bones would not be broken… though they should have been… from carrying a human body. Just as Jesus’ bones would not be broken… though they should have been… from dying the death He died carrying the weight of every human soul.

Jesus is so fierce and strong. ❤︎ “For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” John 19:36

In the old testament, God instructed the Israelites in Exodus 12:46 to never break the bones of the lamb when slaughtering it to cover sins.

Remember… Jesus is the Passover lamb.

He is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world sent to die for all of humanity.

And the passover lamb’s bones are never broken.

This is an instructionary command from God in the Old Testament spoken over the lambs of atonement (the lambs that were killed in order that the blood would be a worthy sacrifice to forgive the people of their wrongdoings against God).

Again in Numbers 9:12 this is mentioned: “They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break one of its bones. According to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it.”

As Jesus will go on to be crucified, not one bone in His body was ever broken.

The Psalms also echoes this prophesy of the unbreakable Messiah.

“He guards all his bones;

Not one of them is broken.” Psalm 34:20

Jesus enters the holy city on a donkey as the pure Lamb of God.

The donkey carries the sacrificial lamb who won’t be broken by the weight it carries.

Neither the donkey’s nor Jesus’ bones were ever broken.

Jesus intended to ride in on the young donkey that had never been ridden before… to purposefully display unbreakability.

Jesus fulfills the prophesies of the Old Testament from thousands of years prior that spoke of Him as the Messiah, the Lamb of God sent to be slaughtered for the sins of the world and raised to life on the 3^rd day. Never breaking a bone. And waking up from death for it had zero power over Him.

In thinking about this, I can’t help but think about when we take communion and the words “this is My body broken for you…” are said. If Jesus body was not literally broken, what is this ritual communicating. It communicates the brokenness of his flesh being ripped apart I would think. So I started to dig deeper into the text and I discovered in the Greek text it doesn’t say “broken” when referring to Jesus’ body as a whole, it says “given.”

Greek translation of this word in the biblical manuscript for Luke 22:19 is “didomenon.” Or “to give.”

The manuscripted version in Luke 22:19 says “this is my body given for you.” Thus, Jesus’ body was broken in the mangled sense but it was not broken in the broken-bone sense, because He is the Lamb who cannot have a broken bone.

Over the years, newer translations have changed from the literal meaning and inserted “broken” instead of “given” because of when Jesus tells the disciples this is my body and then he breaks the bread in front of them. However, it’s not applying to His bones, only his flesh and organs. His heart one could say even.

I also found that in 1 Corinthians 11:24 which speaks of the Lord supper, it says “this is my body which is for you.” The greek word in the manuscript for “which is for you” is “poieite” which means “to make” or “to do.”

Jesus made His human body… for us. Out of love. So that He could give it sacrifically. This body’s sole purpose was to minister on the earth and then undergo death in our place and experience resurrection that we get to experience as well.

Jesus’ body was ripped open and shreded apart for us but His bones were never broken.

Because He is the sacrifical Lamb of God.

Therefore, He is honored as the Lamb who would not be broken in two, even in a torturous death. 

What’s more revealing about this… is how a crucifixion was orchestrated after time passed.

Historically, the centurions or other guards would break the legs of the perpetrators on the crosses. Thus breaking their bones. But with Jesus… this was not done.

“So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with Him. When they came to Jesus, they did not break His legs since they saw that He was already dead.” John 19:32-33

For Jesus’ legs not to have been broken is atypical of a Roman crucifixion. 

It further proves He is the Messiah.

For a Jewish audience reading the gospel of Mark, they would have immediately noticed this in tandem with the verses that speak of the Lamb not breaking any bones. It likely brought many to salvation because of the Old Testament prophesy it fulfills.

In all this, it’s clear the people were not the ones crucifying Jesus. God was. This death sacrifice was under God’s jurisdiction and no one has power over Him. God killed His own self in order to save us… that is love… Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this that He would lay down His life for His friends.” John 15:13

Jesus is an unbreakable King who withstands every and any insurmountable weight put on him.

The donkey also symbolizes this supernatural strength and resilience. Purity. The stamina found in unlikely vessels once Jesus touches it.

When Jesus touches your life, you gain supernatural strength and nothing can break you.

It doesn’t mean we don’t face hardships, sufferings and persecutions. But it does mean we won’t be overcome by it.

Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” John 16:33

Jesus faced every suffering and hardship we could ever face and He still remained unbreakable. Unwavering. Unshaken internally. Strong within. Like a deep rooted tree stands firm amidst the hurricane.

After 3 days He came back to life proving that death has no power over the King of Kings. Nothing is more powerful than God.

Pandemics and catastrophes may come but we will not be moved by them.

We discover how strong we really are when the tornado comes. And we see how deep our roots have been growing that we’ve been cultivating in our relationships with Jesus. Love rooted deeply shields you from calamity.  Testing illuminates how enduring and unbreakable you are.

When Jesus is your King, you gain unbreakable strength that cannot be found outside of Him. Surely His closeness is our good. 💕 We are unshakable because of His love rooted deep in our souls.

now I won’t break

because You broke

the chains

of death

 for me

As I think of what it was like for Jesus to enter Jerusalem on the donkey, unbreakable and courageous, I can see the streets teeming with lovers of this miracle working, love-provoking teacher… they know He is not just a man… He is the Messiah… and they shout Hosanna in the highest! which means “Lord save us!”

The people knew He was the King… and they lined the streets… palm branches in hand…

God is stirring hearts for His return even now.

I glimpsed this a couple days ago… I parked by a tree at Kroger. Something in my spirit told me I should. Then I saw a man come by to cut a branch off of the tree. I assumed he was trimming it for landscaping purposes, but he only took 1 branch and went on his way. That’s odd I thought… then I realized. That’s what people were doing this time 2000 years ago… going to get palm branches to greet Jesus entering the holy city of Jerusalem. 🌿 I love how God speaks. His spirit is all around us.

I can see Jesus looking at them with love… with compassion… I’m here my beloveds… I’m coming to save you. ❤︎

The anticipation of Jesus entering Jerusalem stirred excitement. And right now expectancy for Jesus coming back is getting sweeter. He is close friends.

I see You in the distance

resolution heightening

my hands are clutching palms branches

my heart is livening

with every stride He’s coming closer

hear the songs we bring

Hosanna in the highest Heavens

save us King of Kings

❤︎

“Many people spread their robes on the road, and others spread leafy branches cut from the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting:

Hosanna! He who comes in the name

of the Lord is the blessed One!“

Mark 11:8-9