The Power of Collective Joy study of Luke 19:28 40 on the Daily Bible refresh with Dr.

Brad Miller hello good people and welcome to Daily Bible Refresh with Dr.

Brad Miller.

Thank you for joining me.

In my quest to get the audible word of God into two millionaires a million people by 2028, we do that by a daily reading of the New Testament.

We use the Revised Common Lectionary Year C of a three year cycle to read every day from the Bible.

We do so and we make it understandable.

We're reading for the message version relatable.

We're giving you some points to ponder and we make it applicable and give you an action step to take.

We do all of that in under 10 minutes with a prayer to boot.

It's all brought to you by voiceofgoddaily.com that is the home of our resource the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Method.

Let's get into our reading for the day from Luke 19:28 40 from the message God's Personal Visit after saying these things, Jesus headed straight over up to Jerusalem.

When he got near Bethpage and Bethany at the mountain called Olives, he sent off two of the disciples with instructions.

Go to the village across from you.

As you enter you will find a coat tethered one who has never been ridden.

Untie it and bring it.

If anyone says anything, ask what are you doing?

Say his master needs him.

The two left and found it just as he had said.

As they were untying the cold, its owner said, what are you doing?

Untying the colt.

And they said, the master needs him.

They brought the colt to Jesus.

Then, throwing the coats on its back, they helped Jesus get on.

As he rode, the people gave him a grand welcome, throwing their coats in the streets.

And right at the crest where the Mount of Olives begins its descent, the whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise over all the mighty works they had witnessed.

Blessed is he who comes in the King in God's name.

All's well in heaven, glory in the high places.

Some Pharisees from the crowd told him, teacher, get your disciples under control.

But he said if they keep quiet, the stones would do it for them.

Shouting praise.

Wow.

This is Luke's account of Jesus's entry into Jerusalem on this day, Palm Sunday, a story that challenges our understanding of power and protest and prophetic witness.

Let's take a look at some points to ponder.

There's the counter cultural protest.

Jesus's interest into Jerusalem wasn't just a spiritual movement.

It was a political theater by choosing a humble colt instead of a war horse, Jesus staged a powerful critique of imperial power.

The peaceful protests mocked the violent triumphal entries of Roman rulers while demonstrating an alternative form of leadership based on humility and service.

In our time, this calls us to consider how we might create creatively challenge systems of oppression.

Second point is the power of collective joy.

This somehow spontaneous outbreak of praise from the crowd shows us how shared celebration can be an act of resistance.

When the disciples burst into enthusiastic praise, they weren't just being religious.

They were participating in a community expression of hope for a divine kind of world.

Their joy threatened the authorities precisely because it imagined possibilities beyond the status quo.

A third point is creation's revolutionary voice.

When religious authorities demand silence, Jesus responds that stones would do it for them.

Shouting praise.

This stunning image suggests that the work of liberation and justice is woven into the very fabric of creation.

It reminds us that environmental justice work isn't separated from our social justice work.

All creation longs for and participates in transformation.

Here's your action step.

Identify one system of oppression in your community and plan a creative non violent response.

This might be organizing a prayer vigil outside of a jail or detention center, staging a diet for climate change, or creating art that exposes inequality.

Remember Jesus example of peaceful yet provocative protest and consider how you might combine celebration with resistance.

We're going to have a closing prayer in just a moment.

They want to remind you that we have a great resource for you.

It's called the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Guide.

Is a free resource for your at home Bible study in your own bible.

It makes Bible study as straightforward and as easy as ABC 1, 2, 3.

You can pick it up at our website voiceofgod daily.com let's pray.

Oh God, you are a divine dreamer who rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed cult.

And help us find creative ways to challenge the the empire of our time.

When those in power tell us to be quiet, give us courage to raise our voices even louder.

When we're tempted to separate our spirituality from our activism, remind us that you're the God of prayer and protest.

Thank you for showing us that another world is possible.

One where power serves rather than dominates.

Where joy becomes resistance and where even the stones cry out for justice.

Help us join creation's song of liberation in the spirit of Jesus, the humble revolutionary.

We pray.

Amen and I pray that you will join me tomorrow morning before 6am we usually drop our episodes here on the Daily Bible Refresh.

Come and join me and help me to reach a goal of getting the audible word of God into to two millionaires.

A million people by 2028.

Come and join me here at voiceofgoddaily.com and bring a friend.

Until that time, my name is Dr.

Brad Miller invited you to remember that God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new.