ODJ: a King on a donkey?
April 17, 2011
Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt (v.5).
READ: Matthew 21:1-11
It was Sunday—the day we now call Palm Sunday. Without a doubt, this was not Jesus’ first visit to Jerusalem. As a devout Jew, Jesus would have gone to Jerusalem every year for the three great feasts (Luke 2:41-42; John 2:13, 5:1). In the past 3 years, Jesus had also ministered and taught in that great city. But His coming into Jerusalem this Sunday was radically different.
By riding a young donkey into Jerusalem at a time when thousands of worshipers were coming into the city, Jesus deliberately put Himself in the center of attention (Matthew 21:9-11). It was dangerous for him to enter Jerusalem, for there was a conspiracy to arrest and murder Him (John 11:57; Mark 14:1). But this ride into the Holy City was His “coronation” as King (Matthew 21:5), and the crowd acknowledged Him as the Davidic Messiah, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (v.9, NIV), meaning “Save us, we pray, Son of David.”
Why would Jesus take the place of prominence before thousands of people when for the past 3 years He had deliberately kept a low profile? (John 6:15, 7:10, 11:54). Why would He accept the people’s proclamation that He was King, just 5 days before His death?
Matthew says that this took place to fulfill a 500-year-old prophecy (Matthew 21:4-5) that God’s chosen king would come into Jerusalem “righteous and victorious, yet . . . humble . . . riding on a donkey’s colt” (Zech. 9:9; see also Genesis 49:10-11).
This was a truly unusual way for a triumphant king to enter a city. Conquering rulers normally rode on mighty stallions. But Jesus wasn’t riding a warhorse. This reveals what kind of King Jesus is. He came in meekness and lowliness. Jesus came, not for war, but to establish peace between God and us (Acts 10:36; Col. 1:20-21).
—K.T. Sim
How would you answer the question: “Who is this?” (Matthew 21:10). What kind of king is Jesus to you today? How can you honor Him as your King?
Tweet This
Share on Facebook
Digg This
Save to delicious
Stumble it-
RSS Feed
Related
ODJ: forgiven and forgiving
February 24, 2010 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others (Colossians 3:13). READ: Matthew 18:23-35 In Matthew 6:12, Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” Jesus [...]
ODJ: Staying Grounded
May 11, 2012 [The Pharisees] came and started to argue with [Jesus]. Testing Him, they demanded that He show them a miraculous sign (v.11). READ: Mark 8:1-12 Best selling author John Eldredge recently wrote a book about Jesus titled Beautiful Outlaw. One of the things that struck Eldredge as he researched and wrote his [...]
ODB: The Purpose of God’s Goodness
April 18, 2011 READ: Psalm 67 God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us. —Psalm 67:1 When I was growing up, we often sang a song in Sunday school that went like this: “God is good to me! God is good to me! He holds my hand [...]
ODJ: all the time
March 6, 2011 Your hand will guide me, and Your strength will support me (v.10). READ: Psalm 139:1-10 When my friend Ashley’s remarkable parents, Dr. and Mrs. Evan Zeiger, died in a plane crash one year ago today, she wrote a message so beautiful it was circulated around the world. At the heart of her letter were [...]
Christian Courses
Day Of Discovery
Discover The Word
Discovery Series
Help For My Life
My Utmost For His Highest
Our Daily Bread
Our Daily Journey
RBC Ministries
WarungSateKaMu
Manasociety
雅米