“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! “ John 1:29 NIV
Two thousand years ago Jerusalem served as the site of the Jewish Temple and God’s presence on earth under His covenant with the Jewish people. Lambs and other animals were routinely sacrificed as sin offerings. Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection provided forgiveness forever for all who believe and make Him Lord of their lives.
Today one can walk a path just below the Mount of Olives through a large and ancient Jewish cemetery in the Kidron Valley to the Golden Gate, which is one of twelve gates of the walled city. It is approximately the same path taken by Jesus when He rode the donkey into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
Here’s the amazing part. All sacrificial animals entered Jerusalem only through the Golden Gate en route to the Temple. Likewise, Jesus rode the donkey through this same gate on Palm Sunday, only five days prior to His ultimate sacrifice for all mankind as the perfect Lamb of God.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for Jesus’s obedience to Your will through His crucifixion, death, and resurrection, so that we may live. The depth of Your love, Your grace, Your reward is unfathomable to our minds. You are our God, and we give You our praise and worship. Amen.