Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Make Everything New (3/26/26)

My kids are super excited that today is the last day of school before Spring Break starts! They can’t wait for a break from their regular routines and extra free time to play and do fun things. When was the last time you felt that kind of excitement?

The crowd on Palm Sunday was ecstatic as they welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem.

John 12:12-13   The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. ¹³ They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

The crowd’s excitement was rooted in their expectation of a reigning and conquering king. At His first coming, Jesus was indeed king, but not that kind of king. He was a selfless, sacrificial king that came to give His life so we could have eternal life. His first coming wasn’t about making everything new, but His second coming will usher in everything new.

Revelation 21:5-8 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

⁶ He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷ Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. ⁸ But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

For those who reject Jesus as the only King and Savior, eternal torment awaits. On the other hand, for those of us that have surrendered to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have everything for which to look forward! EVERYTHING will be new, perfect and satisfying.

As we celebrate Palm Sunday this Sunday, we can also anticipate Jesus’ second coming when everything will be made new.

Jesus is worthy to celebrate as both a humble sacrificial king and one who will reign forever!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Selfless King

Leading up to yesterday, I helped organize a big event here at work (the technology unconference). I tried to coordinate volunteers for the day. It was interesting how few people volunteered to be a volunteer. Then, only about half of the original volunteers actually volunteered. Thankfully, many of the volunteers did more than their share and took on extra tasks or went above and beyond what we asked them to do. Also, the planning committee shuffled around to cover holes.  

On the contrary, Jesus didn’t just volunteer to selflessly sacrifice 3-4 hours of his time, but was innocently killed for you and for me! He was crucified as “The King of the Jews.”

John 19:14-18         ¹⁴ It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. ¹⁵ But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
¹⁶ Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. ¹⁷ Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). ¹⁸ There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

Jesus selflessly died, fulfilling God’s plans.

Death for someone else (especially someone who is innocent dying for someone who isn’t innocent) is the most selfless act of all!

Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal King and Savior? No one else will ever do what He has already done for you. If Jesus is your King and Savior, how are you and I selflessly sacrificing so God can accomplish His plans through us?    

Alice