Are you haunted by your past that brings a wave of constant guilt and shame? Salvation in Jesus not only provides you with forgiveness of sin, heaven as your eternal home, but freedom from guilt and shame!

From the moment Jesus came onto the scene, there was something noticeably different about Him. At the age of 12, religious scholars and teachers of His day were amazed by His understanding of the Torah and how well He could defend His understanding against seasoned debaters.

As He grew from a child into a man, His activity took an unprecedented miraculous tone.

Jesus’ ascent to Jerusalem came at the Passover. Passover was the celebration of God’s deliverance of the Jewish people from the captivity of the Egyptians. Adult males were required to journey to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at Passover, up to 300,000 people would make the trip.

This event will serve as an incredible backdrop for the final six days of Jesus’ life. When the crowds return home, they will be witnesses to the ends of the earth regarding the events to unfold.

In Matthew 21:10 a quick statement is made that is key to our freedom from guilt and shame. About Jesus, the crowds ask, “Who Is This?” As the city swells with people and excitement, many are hearing first-hand stories about the activities of Jesus.

^“10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up,” Matthew 21:10

The word “stirred up” in the original text is seió and is an intense word used of earthquakes, as in Matthew 27:51. Seió is where we get our English word seismic. With all this buzz about Him, the question remained, “Who is this?”

The general population still do not understand who He is. Some think He’s a prophet while others see Him as a revolutionist. Even some of His disciples do not fully understand who He is and sees Him as someone to lead the fight against Rome.

As Jesus makes His way into Jerusalem, He is met by crowds of people shouting “Hosanna!” Hosanna comes from a Hebrew word that means “save us” and carries strong emotion. It’s a desperate plea, a cry for help. The crowds recognize Jesus as someone who can save them, but not in the sense He has come.

Having the right answer to the question, “Who is this,” is crucial for every one of us. How you see Jesus will influence how you pursue Him. Our view of Jesus is often driven by what we sense our greatest need is in life.

• If it’s wealth and fame, then Jesus will be a genie in a bottle.
• If it’s happiness, then Jesus is only the conductor on the happy train.
• If it’s success, then Jesus is here only to advance your career.

But these are not your leading needs in life. These pursuits can sometimes be an attempt to mask your biggest necessity.

My biggest need, your biggest need in life is to have your sin forgiven, thereby silencing your past, your guilt and shame.

The issue of sin, guilt, and shame can only be resolved through receiving Jesus Christ as your Savior, the forgiveness of sin. To be forgiven means you are no longer under the condemnation of your past.

If you’re feeling bound by your past, it’s time to bury that at the cross again. You don’t have to carry guilt and shame any longer; Jesus took the weight of it on the cross.

• You are chosen.
• You are forgiven.
• You are a holy nation.
• You are a people belonging to God.

All money in the world can’t buy our peace or forgiveness. All the fame in the world won’t excuse us of our sin. All human effort will fall short of what Jesus did for you and me.

This is who He is. This is what He came to do.