Monday, May 3, 2021
When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. Mark 11:7-11
An Unexpected King
I love the story of Palm Sunday, the triumphant entry one week before the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus, the King of Kings, was expected to arrive in Jerusalem with a triumphant entry. The crowd was gathered and the excitement was high. It was a springtime Sunday in about the year 30 A.D, and the Holy City of Jerusalem was crowded with pilgrims who had come for the annual Passover celebration. Now the King was expected to arrive and it was sure to be a spectacular event! Everyone had a vision of what was surely to be event to remember.
It was an event to remember, but it didn’t go exactly as the people envisioned. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the people spread their coats in front of Him and greeted Him with palm branches. The King came, but it was not the spectacular display everyone thought it would be. There were no instruments and caravans. There were no majestic white horses, only a humble donkey, carrying Jesus, who looked just like the rest of them. He was not the king that many of them expected.
The people were excited as He came into town. They cheered and shouted: Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord — the King of Israel! Only a king would be greeted this way as 2 Kings 9:13 says They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”. The people wanted Jesus to be their king and for that moment He was a king in their eyes. Soon they would be blinded by lies and their cheering to the king would turn to scorn and yelling Crucify Him. Most of the people did not understand what kind of king Jesus would be. They expected their Messiah to be a great political and military leader who would free them from the tyranny of the Roman Empire. Jesus is a different kind of king. Whereas most royalty comes determined to rule, He comes determined to serve. Whereas most monarchs spend time building their egos with the perquisites of office, He comes with a totally disarming humility. Whereas most kings ride white stallions, King Jesus rode a donkey, a symbol of meekness, of peace. He knew what He was doing. He was a different kind of king with a different kind of kingdom.
If we are not careful we can miss the King. We could miss Him because He wasn’t what we expected or He didn’t do what we wanted Him to do. Sometimes we have an idea in our minds of how something should go down. We have preconceived notions and expectations we entertain. We can be thrown off guard when it turns out differently or we can be pleasantly surprised and outrageously blessed. Usually God doesn’t show up the way we think He is going to, but He does show up. It is cliché but very applicable here – God is still on His throne, no matter what. And that means whether He arrives on a donkey or a white stallion, He is still the King of Kings. Don’t miss Him when He comes your way.
