Palm Sunday: The Wrong Ride
When you celebrate Palm Sunday, there is one unavoidable theme: Jesus as King.
As He rides into Jerusalem, the multitudes cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Matthew 21:9). The description of Jesus as the “Son of David” is not just a statement about his genealogy. It’s a declaration about His royalty. In 2 Samuel 7, God promises David that he will always have a son on the throne of Israel. From that moment forward, Israel’s psalmists and prophets would ask God when the Davidic King would come forth to liberate the nation and establish God’s house. The Son of David would be the catalyst for God’s kingdom in their midst. As Psalm 2 declares, that kingdom would begin with a throne in Jerusalem and then expand into the nations.
Just in case we miss the royal meaning of “Son of David,” the Gospels emphasize Jesus’ kingship in other ways. Matthew quotes a prophecy from Zechariah to help us interpret Palm Sunday correctly: “All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey”’” (Matthew 21:5). What is Palm Sunday all about? “Behold, your King is coming to you . . . .” It’s not just about a man, a prophet, a rabbi, or a leader. It’s about a King coming to a city from which He will rule the nations.
However, the way in which this King arrives is rather surprising. You would expect Him to show up on a horse, surrounded by a military entourage, flaunting His might to all His adversaries. This King, though, doesn’t do what you would expect. Rather than a horse, He chooses a donkey. More specifically, He chooses a colt, the foal of a donkey. This hardly seems to be suitable for a King.
Why does Jesus choose this humble means of transportation into His global capital city? Zechariah’s prophecy gives us a clue: “Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly . . . .” The manner in which Jesus enters Jerusalem as King indicates the nature of the kingdom He inaugurates. It’s not a kingdom that lords authority over multitudes, trampling them under hooves of power. It’s a kingdom that pervades the hearts of men, lovingly inviting them to join the King’s procession. Rather than choosing an inaccessible high horse and gazing down at the crowds with a stern countenance, Jesus chooses a colt, bringing him as close as possible to the people. I can imagine Him laughing as children lead the way through praise.
Perhaps, it’s the surprising nature of God’s kingdom that causes Jesus to say, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’” (Luke 17:20, 21). If we look for God’s kingdom, using the lens of worldly kingdoms, then we’ll never see it. The kingdom of God looks different than we expect. To our eyes, a colt is the wrong ride for a King. To God’s eyes, it’s just right.
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Devotional by Pastor Micah Wood