Enter In.

When Jesus was born, the cross was already in view. This heaven meets earth story is staggering. There is no way to top it and though many of us try to bypass it daily, it will be THE defining story for all time and beyond time ongoing. Christmastide has ended. We had continued to celebrate the arrival of the Christ child. It didn't just cut off on December 25. Epiphany came this past Saturday. We remember the wise men saw the star. They were curious. They invested and followed. They found Jesus and worshipped. And they traveled home a different way so they didn't betray his location to His first would be murderer. But just because His first would be murderer was foiled didn't mean that the cross was not already in view. That's the blood dripping beauty of this story. Trinity always knew that the cross was coming and they entered in. Jesus entered in.

Jesus enters in.

"Take me down the corridor that leads me to the cross. Take me to where You are, Lord I want to be where You are. Take me down the corridor that leads me to Your house. Take me to where You live, I want to be where you live." That's now where we're headed. We're headed to the cross with the Savior. Bloody, painstaking, hope filled, raw reality path to the cross.

Bible book of Luke chapter 19, verses 28 through 44. Jesus tells His crew that they should go to a village on up ahead and that they would find a colt tied up there and He wanted them to untie it and bring it to Him. This was His transportation to the cross. And then He says that if anyone asks them why they are untying it they should say, "The Lord needs it." Jesus needs. Let that soak in a minute. Jesus needs something. I don't fully know that I can say why this slays me the way that it does, but my heart is drawn so close to my Savior who declares His need. Jesus, WHO IS GOD, needs. Jesus, who is the creator of colts, needed to borrow a colt for his trip towards the cross. He earlier borrowed a boat to teach in. He one time borrowed a little boys lunch to feed thousands. He would soon have to borrow a grave. Jesus did not insist on being spectacular. He was humble and needy.

Ok, lets ask our question. Is this really real? Bible book of Isaiah chapter 53 verse 3. "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces He was despised and we held Him in low esteem." Needy?

Bible book of Philippians chapter 2 verse 7. "He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." Nothing. Needy? And don't forget from just the past several weeks. A baby dependent on His teenage mom. Needy?

Ok, this is important. Needy for the love of His Father? No. He has it. But still human and still needy living His days on this earth. Sound familiar today?

Ok Damon, so He borrowed a colt, we get it. Move on already. Just one more second. What could He be teaching us? It's ok to be in need. "I didn't come for those that are well. I came for the sick. I didn't come for the righteous. I came for sinners." Needy sinners. I see. Needy does something doesn't it?

So He rides in to town on His borrowed colt and as He comes in people start praising God. They lay their cloaks on the path in front of the colt. They welcome Him. Jesus affects the atmosphere of hearts. These people are offering themselves to Jesus. Yeah, it's just a cloak, but it's an offering none the less. And they are joyfully praising God. "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" And as the praise is going up the conflict is dropping down. Some of the leaders in the crowd tell Jesus that He needs to rebuke His disciples. What is the translation of this? "Jesus, shut them up." Shut the praise up.

It makes total sense to me that there is conflict. Jesus affects people. Have we ever had conflict with Jesus? Ok, point noted. And here is where my heart has been lingering over the last week. This is the moment that I imagine Jesus taking stock of things and saying to Himself and Papa...."We know what I'm about to do. This is so hard. I'm done. I'm not going to acknowledge these voices of disdain. If they only knew what I could do....". No. He enters in. He enters in. He always enters in. "I tell you....if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." PRAISE-WILL-NOT-BE-SHUT-UP! It will not! IT WILL NOT! I kind of want Jesus at this very moment to look at the Pharisees and say, "No, YOU shut up." But His humble heart does not move that way. If hearts don't praise God, inanimate objects will do what those hearts are created to do.

Am I shouting praise to the Lord or one who tries to shut it up?

Change me Savior. Loose my tongue to profusely praise You. Forgive me for not wanting to enter in. I am laid bare by your sacrificial life for Me. You are on the way to the cross to give your life for Me and you're not shutting down. You're entering in.

You're dying to enter my heart.

There's more.