Expectations
Many of us have expectations. In fact, there are three words used in the Greek for the word ‘expect’ in the Bible.
-Prosdokao, meaning to look forward to what will probably occur, whether in hope or fear.
-Ekdechomai to look for, to await, to receive
-Apokaradokia is anxious or intense anticipation in the sense of watching something.
In the book of Matthew, there was an expectation of Jesus. Matthew 21:5 says, “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.” The origin of this text comes from a prophet in the old testament, named Zechariah. He was a minor prophet whose name meant Yahweh remembers and the book he penned contains the largest number of passages among the minor prophets about the Messiah. Scholars record that Zechariah used a simple structure of eight visions (Zechariah 1:1–6:15), four messages (7:1–8:23), and two oracles (9:1–14:21) to anticipate the completion of the temple and, ultimately, the future reign of the Messiah from Jerusalem. In this verse; he is telling of the coming Messiah who would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey.
The time span from Zechariah 9 to Matthew 21, was about 500 years. You see, Zechariah prophesied about a Messiah that would not come in the way people thought but would proclaim peace, cleanse people from their sins, and rescue His people as a good Shepherd would. The message was clear.
However, the expectation of the hearts of the people; what they allowed into their way of thinking based on their circumstances, based on even their oppression; made them lose sight of why Jesus was coming. The selfishness of their desires overrode the truth of what Jesus was coming/sent to do.
There was an expectation, a popular way of thinking that was becoming embedded in the minds of the Jewish people at the time. An expectation that Jesus would be temporal, that he would make war among the Romans, who were oppressing the Jews, that this Messiah would come to save them not from their sin which Zechariah prophesied but would save them from man…from an empire. There were many who did not see Jesus in a spiritual faith but rather someone who can deliver them temporarily for the time in which they needed Him to do so. They were looking for restoration of Israel, they were looking for a revolt against this Roman army, and they were seeing the Messiah as someone who was coming to do solely that.
This was a clear example of overlooking the specific prophecy of Zechariah and changing it to fit their needs in that moment. Jesus was never coming to fulfill a temporal gain but rather something that was eternal. He was coming to save their souls not to rescue their physical man.
“What is our belief in Jesus rooted out of? Who do we believe Jesus is? If someone were to walk up to us after we leave this service and ask us who Jesus Christ is, what would our response be? What is it rooted out of? Is it rooted in faith, in the knowledge and revelation of Christ through our intimacy with Him, or is it rooted in what we may have heard from someone else?
The fear of God is the beginning of everything good. It is a treasure. It unlocks the purpose of our existence, it attracts the presence, protection and providence of our Creator. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10). If we do not have this Holy fear we can even begin to have wisdom.
These men and women with an expectation of Jesus were cheering him on yet had wisdom in their own eyes. They saw what Jesus could do, they saw the miracles he did, they saw the way he taught unlike anyone they heard speak before but in their minds they still did not have Holy fear towards him so their root was still growing out of what Jesus can do for me. Out of selfishness, pride, out of the fear of man. They heard about a Messianic prophecy over 500 years ago but their root was growing through the lens of hurt and oppression and revenge, which caused them to have faulty expectations.
The very people that were awaiting and seeing this Messiah were the very people that Jesus was talking about chapters earlier. They saw him riding on a donkey, they heard of the miraculous things he did but they still did not perceive nor understand who He was.
And so one day He is riding into Jerusalem and they are cheering “Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[c] “Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”
What our response will be when our expectations are not met? Jesus comes into Jerusalem and he sees people selling in the temple and he overthrows tables and we can laugh about it but I wonder if Jesus were to come right here in this place or the temple of our heart; what would he be flipping over?
We see that because Jesus did not live up to their expectations, because He did not demand their notion of justice. He did not reveal their image of God. THEIR IMAGE. The same people who said Hosana days later would be the same people that would say crucify him. Or if there were any in the crowd that did know him, they stayed silent as the majority said CRUCIFY HIM.
When Jesus looked at his disciples, He specifically asked them who do the people say I am? And they respond and say some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, some say Jeremiah, or one of the prophets because their expectation of who Jesus was was not rooted in revelation of the The Father but what they thought in their natural minds. So then Jesus challenges his disciples and says But who do you say that I am? And out of those people, one responded on behalf of the group. Peter, and he says to Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” You see Peter’s expectation about Who Christ was was rooted in knowing that Jesus was the promised Messiah AND knowing that He was also divine.
Matthew 21:43 Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 says, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Let us aim to align our expectations to the will of God. We do this by having a heart that will:
-Prosdokao, meaning to look forward to what will probably occur, whether in hope or fear.
-Ekdechomai to look for, to await, to receive
-Apokaradokia is anxious or intense anticipation in the sense of watching something.
In the book of Matthew, there was an expectation of Jesus. Matthew 21:5 says, “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.” The origin of this text comes from a prophet in the old testament, named Zechariah. He was a minor prophet whose name meant Yahweh remembers and the book he penned contains the largest number of passages among the minor prophets about the Messiah. Scholars record that Zechariah used a simple structure of eight visions (Zechariah 1:1–6:15), four messages (7:1–8:23), and two oracles (9:1–14:21) to anticipate the completion of the temple and, ultimately, the future reign of the Messiah from Jerusalem. In this verse; he is telling of the coming Messiah who would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey.
The time span from Zechariah 9 to Matthew 21, was about 500 years. You see, Zechariah prophesied about a Messiah that would not come in the way people thought but would proclaim peace, cleanse people from their sins, and rescue His people as a good Shepherd would. The message was clear.
However, the expectation of the hearts of the people; what they allowed into their way of thinking based on their circumstances, based on even their oppression; made them lose sight of why Jesus was coming. The selfishness of their desires overrode the truth of what Jesus was coming/sent to do.
There was an expectation, a popular way of thinking that was becoming embedded in the minds of the Jewish people at the time. An expectation that Jesus would be temporal, that he would make war among the Romans, who were oppressing the Jews, that this Messiah would come to save them not from their sin which Zechariah prophesied but would save them from man…from an empire. There were many who did not see Jesus in a spiritual faith but rather someone who can deliver them temporarily for the time in which they needed Him to do so. They were looking for restoration of Israel, they were looking for a revolt against this Roman army, and they were seeing the Messiah as someone who was coming to do solely that.
This was a clear example of overlooking the specific prophecy of Zechariah and changing it to fit their needs in that moment. Jesus was never coming to fulfill a temporal gain but rather something that was eternal. He was coming to save their souls not to rescue their physical man.
“What is our belief in Jesus rooted out of? Who do we believe Jesus is? If someone were to walk up to us after we leave this service and ask us who Jesus Christ is, what would our response be? What is it rooted out of? Is it rooted in faith, in the knowledge and revelation of Christ through our intimacy with Him, or is it rooted in what we may have heard from someone else?
The fear of God is the beginning of everything good. It is a treasure. It unlocks the purpose of our existence, it attracts the presence, protection and providence of our Creator. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10). If we do not have this Holy fear we can even begin to have wisdom.
These men and women with an expectation of Jesus were cheering him on yet had wisdom in their own eyes. They saw what Jesus could do, they saw the miracles he did, they saw the way he taught unlike anyone they heard speak before but in their minds they still did not have Holy fear towards him so their root was still growing out of what Jesus can do for me. Out of selfishness, pride, out of the fear of man. They heard about a Messianic prophecy over 500 years ago but their root was growing through the lens of hurt and oppression and revenge, which caused them to have faulty expectations.
The very people that were awaiting and seeing this Messiah were the very people that Jesus was talking about chapters earlier. They saw him riding on a donkey, they heard of the miraculous things he did but they still did not perceive nor understand who He was.
And so one day He is riding into Jerusalem and they are cheering “Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[c] “Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”
What our response will be when our expectations are not met? Jesus comes into Jerusalem and he sees people selling in the temple and he overthrows tables and we can laugh about it but I wonder if Jesus were to come right here in this place or the temple of our heart; what would he be flipping over?
We see that because Jesus did not live up to their expectations, because He did not demand their notion of justice. He did not reveal their image of God. THEIR IMAGE. The same people who said Hosana days later would be the same people that would say crucify him. Or if there were any in the crowd that did know him, they stayed silent as the majority said CRUCIFY HIM.
When Jesus looked at his disciples, He specifically asked them who do the people say I am? And they respond and say some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, some say Jeremiah, or one of the prophets because their expectation of who Jesus was was not rooted in revelation of the The Father but what they thought in their natural minds. So then Jesus challenges his disciples and says But who do you say that I am? And out of those people, one responded on behalf of the group. Peter, and he says to Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” You see Peter’s expectation about Who Christ was was rooted in knowing that Jesus was the promised Messiah AND knowing that He was also divine.
Matthew 21:43 Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 says, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Let us aim to align our expectations to the will of God. We do this by having a heart that will:
- Repent - we have to acknowledge the things that are taking us from being united in God and turn from what He is not pleased with and turn towards Him.
- The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.
- Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.
- By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. (Proverbs 16:4-6)
- Commit - commit ourselves, our ways, the things that we do to The Lord.
- The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.
- Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. (Proverbs 16:1-3)
- Pursue to please the Lord
- When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
- Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.
- The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16:7-9)
- Pursue to have the expectations of Christ
- Expect to suffer (Phil 1:29) For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,
- Expect to serve (Marl 10:45) For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
- Expect to die (1 Cor 15:31) I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
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