IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THIS WAY
Micah Smith
Today's Scripture: "And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!'" Matthew 21:9, ESV
Theme: We may praise God rightly while at the same time wrongly imposing on Him our expectations of His Kingdom.
THE CALL THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
My freshman year of college was a mess – good grades on paper, but morally at an all-time low. I was far from God. Between freshman and sophomore year, I made a real effort to turn things around. By midway through my sophomore year, I was consistently involved in Bible study, attending church, making better choices. Then one night, walking back from dinner, my phone rang. My mom told me my grandfather had suffered a heart attack and passed away.
It felt so random, so wrong. He wasn't even 80 yet. He didn't drink or smoke, stayed active, and was the kind of Christian our family needed and I aspired to be. In retirement, he wasn’t the kind of guy to relax or take it easy. He mowed the church lawn and fixed anything for anyone. Lawn mowers, cars, random repairs: he never asked for money, usually paid for parts himself, and if he got paid, it was in home cooking. He was “sacrificial living” personified. And I was furious with God. Why him? Why my grandfather? He was the one I was closest to growing up, and he didn't even get to see me make something of myself. He did everything right – why did he die so early? I'd finally turned my life around, and he was doing all the right things, so why was I facing this pain when I thought I was doing everything right?
THE KINGDOM WE EXPECTED
The crowds on Palm Sunday had their own script for how things were supposed to go. They had centuries of unfulfilled prophecy and stories of God doing the impossible with Israel. They expected this anticipated King to lead a revolution, flip everything on its head, and make their Roman oppressors pay. When they shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they meant it – but they also had very specific ideas about what that meant. A military Messiah. Political power. Earthly dominance.
Then they watched their promised Savior die on a cross. I can only imagine their confusion: "It wasn't supposed to be this way." They praised God rightly – Jesus was indeed the Son of David, the one coming in the Name of the Lord. But they imposed their own expectations on God's Kingdom. They wanted revolution; God gave them resurrection. They wanted a conquering king; God gave them a Suffering Servant.
Make It Personal: Where are you disappointed with God because life didn't follow your script? Maybe you've done everything "right" but still face hardship. Maybe you've turned your life around but still experience loss. What if God's plans are higher than our formulas of cause and effect? The crowds praised Jesus correctly but expected Him incorrectly. Are you praising God while secretly demanding He operate according to your timeline and expectations? This week, notice where you're saying, "It wasn't supposed to be this way," and ask whether you're trying to impose your kingdom plans on God's Kingdom purpose.
Pray: Father, forgive me for the times I've praised You with one breath while demanding You meet my expectations with the next. Help me trust Your plans even when they don't make sense to me, even when they hurt. Thank You that Your ways are higher than mine, and that what looks like defeat in my eyes may be the pathway to resurrection in Yours. Give me faith to trust You when life doesn't follow my script. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Read: Isaiah 55:8-9, Matthew 21:1-11
Weekly Memory Verse:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9, ESV