Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” 17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night. (Mathew 21:12-17 NIV)
On Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the adults sang hosanna because they had seen Lazarus raised from the dead (Luke 19:37). Yesterday, on Palm Sunday, why did so many attend church? Was it to celebrate his entry with his death and resurrection in mind? Or did many jump on the proverbial bandwagon with branches, reenacting people who didn’t understand what they were doing in the first place?
Jesus wasn’t on a donkey for no reason–he was headed somewhere. He was headed to the Cross, and as he entered the city, he wept for it, saying, “you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you” (Luke 19:44 NIV). The KJV says, “thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” Isn’t it possible he was thinking, “You could have enjoyed my goodness while I was here, but now I’m headed to the Cross, and though I rise, many of you still will not believe. You have missed it!”
My point is his weeping, and the adults’ empty hosannas beg the question. Do we understand the time and season we are in? It’s a time when God wants to visit many, redeem them from sickness by the blood of Jesus, work miracles, and reveal himself through His Son, Jesus. But will anybody recognize the time of visitation?
Nisan (or Abib) is the time, specifically, the month we are in on the Jewish calendar. Its meaning is dualistic. The month’s name can mean “leap forward” or “limp backward.” If we don’t recognize the times, we may fall prey to limping backward. But if we open our hearts to all this season and this Holy Week has to offer, we can leap forward with Jesus and experience him in a new and living way.
The adults missed it on Palm Sunday, but the children cried hosanna with the right motive on Holy Monday. From the lips of children, he called forth praise because the adults had missed it. Their hearts had not been cleansed, and Jesus having to overthrow their tables also reflected the state of their hearts. What Jeremiah and Isaiah prophesied about Holy Monday came to pass.
Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 7:11 NIV)
These I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:7 NIV)
So, today on Holy Monday, let’s learn a lesson from the children. Let’s come with childlike faith and open our hearts to all this season of the Cross and Holy Week has to offer. The children’s praise was also a fulfillment of prophesy. Let’s be a prophetic people, this week and this month especially, to exalt our Savior and silence the enemy with Jesus’ praise and victory.
Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. (Psalm 8:2 NIV)
Lenita Reeves
Follow Lenita’s Blog on WordPress.comLenita is the senior pastor of Action Chapel Baltimore and Action Chapel North Carolina churches. She is a podcaster, the author of nine books, and an international speaker on a mission to communicate with passion, propel people into their purpose, and teach transformative truth across the globe. Lenita is the founder of PurposeHouse Publishing, PrayerWatch with Pastor Lenita, and creator of the Purpose/full Institute, which helps people discover and hone their divine purpose. She is a former Accenture consultant with college teaching experience, professional instructional design experience, a member of the RAINN speaker’s bureau, and a trained counselor. Lenita is also a Christian International/Bishop Hamon authorized prophetic instructor. She has traveled the globe as a keynote conference speaker in the United States, London, Jamaica, Ghana, Uganda, Haiti, and Kenya. She has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech, a Master of Arts in Dance Education from Ohio State, and an MBA from the University of Maryland, College Park.