A Savior, Not a Genie

Palm Sunday
Matthew 26:14 - 27:66
by Robert S. Munday

Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 — “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!  Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!  See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Jesus’ triumphal entry fulfilled many prophecies—prophecies of the coming Messiah—prophecies of the Son of David coming to claim His Kingdom.  When the week got worse; and, of course, we know it got much worse, He fulfilled other prophecies—prophecies about His death, such as those from Isaiah that tell us the meaning of what He would do for us:

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6)

But here is where Jesus ran into trouble: In fulfilling these prophecies, Jesus failed to fulfill the expectations of the people.  Jesus had performed many miracles, healed many people, and raised the dead.  The people must have been waiting for a showdown.  Surely the obnoxiously pious Pharisees, corrupt old King Herod, even the oppressive Romans were no match for Him.  Even their cry “Hosanna,” which is a cry of praise, is a Hebrew expression of praise to a Savior.  The word means, literally, “Save!” or “Save us now!”

They were looking for someone to free them from their political and religious oppression.  When, four days later, Jesus was arrested and stood mute before the Sanhedrin, Herod, and Pilate, the people realized they had lost their “hero” and turned on Him.  And when asked by Pilate to choose, they shouted, “Give, us Barabbas!”—a murderer.  They—and, unfortunately, people today—rejected Jesus because He was not the kind of salvation they were looking for.

If salvation were like finding a lamp with a genie inside who gave people three wishes, people would become Christians in droves.

But what do you think they would wish for?  Probably things like becoming the richest, the most powerful, and the most attractive.

What would we have? ...a world full of people trying to become the richest, the most powerful, and the most attractive.  It wouldn’t be any different than what we have now, would it?

Some might choose to live forever—still lost, alienated from God, dead in their trespasses and sins.  But Jesus is not the genie who would give us three wishes and leave us lost in our sins, nor the kind of savior who would let us live forever, alienated from God.  He is the Savior who died for our sins that we might be united with God and live with Him forever.