The King Has Come!

The Paradox of a King on a Donkey: Understanding True Kingship

The week leading up to Easter holds profound significance in the Christian faith. It begins with Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, an event that challenged every expectation of what a king should be. This moment in history wasn't just another chapter in Jesus' ministry; it was a declaration that would force everyone watching to make a choice.

When Kings Don't Look Like Kings

Picture the scene: crowds gathering, anticipation building, the atmosphere electric with possibility. The people of Bethany and Bethpage had witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. They had seen miracles that defied explanation. Now, as Jesus prepared to enter Jerusalem, something unprecedented happened, he responded to being called "Son of David," a title reserved for the Messiah, the promised King.

For his disciples, this was the moment they had been waiting for. Finally, Jesus would assert his authority. Finally, the revolution would begin. Finally, Rome would fall.

But then Jesus asked for a donkey.

Not a war horse. Not a chariot. A donkey.

This wasn't a public relations mistake. This was intentional. This was Jesus fulfilling the ancient prophecy from Zechariah 9:9: "Behold, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey."

The Crisis of Unmet Expectations

In that moment, the disciples faced a crisis that mirrors one we all encounter: the tension between who we want Jesus to be and who he actually is. We craft a version of Jesus in our minds, a Jesus who fits our preferences, validates our choices, and solves our problems on our terms. We want a Jesus who makes life comfortable, not one who demands everything.

The American spirit of independence can subtly infiltrate our faith. Founded on separation from a king, our culture celebrates autonomy, self-determination, and personal freedom. These values, while having their place, can become obstacles when we approach the King of Kings with the same attitude: "I'll follow you, Jesus, but on my terms."

But Jesus doesn't offer that option. He forces the issue. As he entered Jerusalem that day, he was essentially saying: "Love me and crown me, or kill me. There is no middle ground."

The Confrontational King

Jesus was remarkably humble and gentle with people, tender with the broken, compassionate with the hurting, patient with the confused. But when it came to his own identity and authority, there was no modesty. He declared, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." He claimed ownership of the temple. He accepted worship.

This confrontational aspect of Jesus' kingship demands a response. We cannot remain neutral. We cannot have a casual "understanding" with Jesus while living however we please. The same crowds who shouted "Hosanna!" (meaning "Save us!") on Palm Sunday were shouting "Crucify him!" just days later.

Before we judge them too harshly, we should examine ourselves. How often do we praise Jesus when circumstances go our way, only to question or abandon him when life doesn't meet our expectations? How many people have walked away from faith because God didn't perform according to their script?

True submission to Jesus as King means trusting his authority even when, especially when, we don't understand his methods or his timing.

The Paradoxical King

A paradox is something that seems contradictory or absurd but reveals a deeper truth. Jesus embodied this perfectly. He was a king who served. He was powerful yet gentle. He conquered through sacrifice. He won by losing. He lived by dying.

The Jewish people expected a messiah who would overthrow Rome and restore Israel's political independence. If Jesus had done that, it would have been a temporary fix to a surface problem. The cycle of sin, captivity, and redemption that characterized Israel's history would have simply continued.

Instead, Jesus came to address the root issue: the human heart. External circumstances don't need fixing as much as internal transformation. Political liberation means nothing if we remain enslaved to sin and death.

This is where many of us miss the point of salvation. We think it's about behavior modification, sinning less, doing better, getting our act together. But salvation isn't contingent on our ability to clean ourselves up. At the cross, Jesus dealt with the sin problem once and for all. Salvation is wrapped up entirely in one question: Do I accept Jesus as King of my life, or do I reject him?

The Transformational King

When we truly submit to Jesus as King, transformation follows. Not because we're trying harder, but because his kingship changes everything from the inside out. We begin to see the world through his eyes. We find joy in the midst of suffering. We discover purpose in pain. We experience peace that transcends circumstances.

This transformation isn't just personal, it's cosmic. Isaiah prophesied a day when creation itself will respond to the King's return: "You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace. The mountains and the hills will break forth before you. There'll be shouts of joy and the trees will clap their hands" (Isaiah 55:12).

This isn't mere symbolism. This is the power of the King who will return to claim his kingdom.

The Question That Demands an Answer

Is Jesus your King? Not just your helper, your friend, your emergency contact when life falls apart, but your King?

Because all the benefits we seek from Jesus, healing, deliverance, provision, guidance, flow from submission to his kingship. We cannot have the blessings without the surrender. We cannot claim the promises while rejecting the authority.

Jesus doesn't want to be your private deity who exists to make your life easier. He came to give you life abundantly, which is far different than life comfortably. Abundant life comes through relationship with the King, through daily surrender, through choosing his will over our own.

Remembering the Broken King

In the upper room, just days after his triumphal entry, Jesus instituted a memorial that would last through the ages. He took bread and said, "This is my body, broken for you." He took the cup and said, "This is my blood, poured out for you."

The body of a King was broken. The blood of a King was poured out. Not in weakness, but in ultimate strength. Not in defeat, but in victory over sin and death.

As we remember his sacrifice, we proclaim not just that he died, but that he conquered death itself. The King who rode a donkey into Jerusalem would soon ride out of a tomb, victorious over humanity's greatest enemy.

The question remains: Is he your King? Not just in word, but in the way you live each day? Because this King changed everything, and he invites you to be part of his eternal kingdom.

Devotional

A 5-day Bible reading plan and devotional guide based on the message The King Has Come!.