Change, it is not easy. It is not something we usually want. It, however, is necessary. It was necessary for those in Jesus’ day, and it is necessary for us today.
The Day Jesus Changed Things in Jerusalem
In Matthew 21, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey with a procession essentially shouting He is the Messiah. Given the commotion, the shouts of the people, it is clear this man is claiming some sort of Jewish kingship. Rome ruled the Jews at this time. Rome wouldn’t take this man’s claim lightly. They didn’t in the past. If you remember, in Matthew 2 when the Wise Men came into the city asking for the king, Herod had all the first born babies killed.
The people are worried. They don’t know what is going to happen. They don’t know how Rome would react. Threatened by this man’s presence, they want to know who He is. At the end of verse 10, they ask just that. They ask:
“Who is this?” (Mt. 21:10b)
The crowd responds by telling them:
“This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Mt. 21:11)
While there is debate over this point, I believe they mean He is the prophet like Moses prophesied about in Deuteronomy 18. There the text says,
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers – it is him you shall listen -…And whoever will not listen to my words that He shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.” (Deut. 18:15, 19).
So the crowd, observing all that Jesus has done and said, determines He is the prophet like Moses that God has sent. He is the One who has come to lead God’s people. With that pronouncement Jesus is not only set against Rome but also against the religious leaders of the day.
Hearing the crowds answer, the citizens of Jerusalem knew their comfortable peaceful life was being disrupted. Their life as they knew it was being threatened.
Jesus Disrupts Our Life
Isn’t that what Jesus does? He comes into our life and shakes things up. If we are honest with ourselves, most of us don’t want Jesus messing with things in our life. Disrupting what we have going for us.
We don’t want Jesus to change things because we like our sin. We like being in control. We like what’s comfortable. We don’t want anything to change. Jesus, however, wants things to change in our life. He not only wants things to change, He changes things. He comes into our life and changes things just like He did in Jerusalem.
Jesus Doesn’t Change Things To Hurt Us
Instead, He changes things because that is what is best for us. He does it to set things right in our life so we will live according to God’s will, which is what we were created to do. So Jesus doesn’t change things to hurt us, He changes things because it is what is best for us. He changes things so that we will better accomplish our God given purpose.
Question for Reflection
- What is Jesus changing in your life right now?
Christianity Matters 
I appreciated your views on this subject. Although God’s motives for causing change are compassionate, part of growing up is learning that change will hurt, but that pain is impermanent. Much of our most important learning is painful, and the pain helps us to stay focused. Finding a marriage partner inevitably involves some painful rejection experiences. No one learns to walk without falling down. Enduring colds, flu viruses, and eating bad food by accident are all very uncomfortable experiences, but we learn and get stronger through the pain.
Mikey,
Thanks for reading and your comments. Yes, change can be painful. I know change in my own life has been painful, but necessary and good when it is done. Indeed the pain is not permanent.
Blessings,
Casey