When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21 v 10-11)
The crowd are already mixed in their understanding of Jesus’ identity. Some are shouting ‘Hosanna’ for he is their Messiah and others that he is a prophet from some backwater of Galilee. The whole city was stirred and we remember His birth when the Magi came into Jerusalem following a star from the east, “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him”. (Matthew 2 v 3) Herod, the self-imposed king of the Jews was afraid when he heard the gossip on the streets of Jerusalem. He was afraid of being usurped from anything from the east. He knew he was not the true King of the Jews, Rome had placed him there. His safety was in the west, his paranoia was in the east. He was stirred along with the city.
3 decades later the city is stirred again by the announcement and presence of Christ. But a prophet from Nazareth?
“Who is this?”
I believe what this generation needs to know during and coming out of this pandemic more than ever is not what the building plans of the Church are; primarily not how the Church has become digital; not even how delighted the Church are at being back in ‘fellowship’.
The world need to know who God is.
They need to know what He has done.
They need to know who they are as a result of that.
They need to know how to live.
For that to happen they need to know who Jesus is.
They need to know the centrality and supremacy of Christ in 2021.
They need to know that when you look at Jesus you look at God.
What the world needs today is to know the amazing truth that the invisible God has allowed himself to be seen and known in Jesus Christ.
Jesus enters Jerusalem, a city always known for its turmoil and even more so today. It is a reflection of our hearts, full of angst, fear and uncertainty for our tomorrow. Jesus entering the disturbance of our thoughts as we battle with our lives, jobs, families and the many sicknesses we face. As He enters He stirs up that turmoil for He comes to turn the world upside down. In His realignment of our lives we become even more disturbed as it is us who have to change not Him. We maybe want a Jesus who makes us happy and pats us on our back. But that is not Him. He has been stirring hearts and cities since He was born on earth and He is continuing to this day.
Missions Paul 
That’s a great reminder of the centrality of Christ in our message, As Paul declared “We preach Christ and Him crucified.” It’s still the same message for a changed world, it still is a sinful world and needs the Saviour Jesus. Thanks Pastor Paul for a reminder of what we should be all about.