We are a forgetful people in a land of distractions. Our minds are easily captivated by trivial and temporary inducements. New things quickly become old. In our mind’s eye even glory tends to fade and warnings tend to wane. It is no wonder that we who are invisibly united to Christ and visibly in and not of this world live in constant need of renewal. And what is true for the Christian is true for the church. This is a series that seeks to renew the mind of the church. Not so much by reviewing what she is called to do as much as what she is called. As with the Christian so with church, her God-given identity defines her. We who are the church are a people for God and none other.
Before we return to the book of Romans, we will be looking at the what scripture says about the Church, in its nature, how she expresses herself in song, and how the church cares and equips for its members.
The messages from this series can be found here:
Manny Pereira - February 28, 2021
The Ironic Entry
The fullness of time had come. Jesus now presents Himself publicly as the long-awaited King to the capital city, Jerusalem. It is the first formal presentation of Jesus as the Christ. The whole scene is deliberately dramatic and intentionally ironic. Oxford defines irony as “a condition of affairs or events of a character opposite to what was, or might naturally be, expected.” Irony often prepares the observer for a contradictory outcome of events. This is precisely what is presented in this remarkable scene. Jesus’ sovereign majesty cloaked in deep humility, the crowds’ exuberant acclaim of Him, and both the city’s reaction and the crowds’ response are all highly ironic. The careful observer will stand in awe of this prophetic procession of the Prince of Peace entering His capital “city of peace” in a sort of acted parable. All serves to stress Jerusalem’s question, “Who is this?” The very nature of Christ and His kingship are being revealed. Tradition labels the scene “triumphal”—context suggests “ironic.”
Scripture References: Matthew 21:1-11
