A Different Kind of King
Every year, we celebrate Palm Sunday with branches and crosses made from carefully folded palm fronds. We talk about how Jesus arrived in Jerusalem and was greeted with shouts of praise and adoration. The scene had to have been impactful. I often fail to fully grasp the grandeur of the situation because I live in a very small community. If you added up everyone who lived in my town and the surrounding farms, you would not even come close to the number of people crowding around Jesus and his disciples. My only frame of reference comes from a time when I went to a professional hockey game up in Calgary, Canada. The arena seats over 18,000 people (easily 4 times the number of people who live in my town). Our seats were so far away from the ice rink that you could not see what anyone looked like. The hockey players were only colorful blobs sliding around. What I remember the most about the game was the sound. That many people, all together, shouting for their team and favorite players, makes a sound that vibrates your inner being. Imagine the cacophony of a crowded sports arena all praising the name of Jesus and glorifying God! That would vibrate the doors of Hell.
Into this scene, Jesus comes riding on a colt. Matthew 21:2 tells us it is the colt of a donkey. I don’t know much raising horses or donkeys, but I have seen enough sappy westerns to know that you don’t simply walk up to an animal that has never been ridden before and hop on. Afterall, that is what inspired the rodeo in the first place. Donkeys may not be as feisty as horse, but they certainly are more stubborn. From what I read, there needs to be a bonding between the animal and rider before ever placing a blanket on its back. What a beautiful commentary on our Lord. Jesus calmed the animal. There was no bucking him off, no refusal to move as donkeys are prone to doing. The same hand that calmed the storm and cured the blind man, settled any fears of this young animal and sat on it as if he had always done so.
This entrance into Jerusalem signified Jesus’ claim to be king of Israel, except, it was nothing like the people expected. The ride into Jerusalem was a standard ‘new king’ event. Thousands of people thundered applause and praise. Only one man road upon an animal instead of walking. This was the normal way a new king entered his city… except it wasn’t. First of all, Jesus came riding a donkey’s colt. No other king would choose such an animal. A warhorse would have been preferred. It would have given off the appearance of dominance and power. The people were expecting a king who would lead them against their enemy: Rome. Jesus came to defeat the enemy of our souls. He came as much for the Roman as for the Jew. The expectations of the people surrounding him did not dissuade him from his goal. He came to bring peace to our souls, not war to our land.
The donkey signified times of peace because it was an animal used in farming, not war. It also fulfilled the prophesy contained in Zechariah 9:9: “Say to the daughter of Zion, behold your king is coming to you, gentle and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” There was no mistake in the way Jesus entered Jerusalem. He knew the city held his enemies. He knew he would be arrested within its walls. Still, he rode boldly, making a distinct and memorable entrance into the city of kings. His peculiar entrance announced that he was a king far different than what they had known before. He deserved the praise. The thundering roar that followed him through the city walls announced the true king of this world… a title only Jesus deserves. The way he portrayed that kingship was different because his rule in our lives is different. God does not force Himself onto our hearts. He invites us into His. He is gentle and kind, loving and just. If we let Him, He will protect us, guide us, and be the king of our lives forever.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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