Monday, March 3, 2025
Many people spread their clothes on the road, and others spread leafy branches cut from 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! Mark 11:8-10
What does Palm Sunday tell us about Jesus and how his entry into Jerusalem set the stage for our redemption?
Palm Sunday, one week before the resurrection. For us it is the beginning of Easter, the first day of holy week, the eight days leading up to the resurrection. The people in Jerusalem had lined the streets because Jesus, the king of kings, was expected to arrive in with a triumphant entry. The crowd was gathered, and the excitement was high. The city was crowded with those who had come for the annual Passover celebration, and now the long-awaited king was expected to arrive! It was sure to be a spectacular event, and everyone had a vision of what was surely to be event to remember.
A Different Kind Of King
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 a humble Jesus, who looked just like the rest of them. He was not the king that many of them expected.
Most of the people did not understand what kind of king Jesus would be. They expected this coming king to be a great political and military leader who would free them from the tyranny of the Roman Empire. Jesus was a different kind of king. Whereas most royalty comes determined to rule, he comes determined to serve with a totally disarming humility. Whereas most kings would ride white stallions, king Jesus rode a donkey, a symbol of meekness, of peace. He knew what He was doing. A different kind of king; a different kind of kingdom.
Jesus was so many things that day on that donkey. He was sovereign, victorious, and triumphant while at the same time he was humble, meek, and gentle. He was sovereign even while a man here on earth. He knew things. He knew where the disciples could find the donkey and sent them to get it. He was and still is victorious and triumphant over sin. He was also triumphant and victorious in a way they could not see yet. They expected a warrior king to defeat their earthly enemies. They did not understand that he was already triumphant and victorious against sin, death, and hell. He came to fight the greatest battle that none of us could fight, but defeat would last a literal eternity. He was humble and willing to set aside his status as the true King of Kings and do what his Father said. Riding in on a donkey not only fulfilled a prophecy about the coming king, but also helps us see Jesus for the king he is – humble. Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; he is righteous and victorious humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 The people had no idea who they had before them that day.
When we look at the triumphant entry, we can see that Jesus is so much more than we could ever imagine. There is no way we could ever fathom the vastness of his love, mercy, and grace for us. Our minds want to put Jesus in a box just as the Jews thought they would see a “king” riding in like a “king” would. They expected a great warrior who would deliver them. And he did come to deliver them – not from a moment in battle, but for eternity. He came to give them freedom – not the kind of freedom they were imagining, but an everlasting freedom. He came to make the captives free from the sin and shame that we carry that keeps us from abundant life.
Have you seen the king in your life? Or have you missed him because you are only looking for a certain answer, the direction you think is best, one specific person, or only your solution? We can miss Jesus easily by only looking for what we want to see. The people were looking for something different and many did not see the humble king on the donkey right before their eyes. If we truly want to see the king, we must surrender our idea of what He should do for us and how he should do it. When we only look for what we think should be we miss him and so many blessings along with the lessons and wisdom.
