The King Has Arrived!
All four gospels share the account of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on the Sunday before His crucifixion, He was greeted as a king. The enthusiastic crowd shouted “Hosanna” and waved palm branches to welcome the one they hoped would be their messianic liberator! No doubt the people believed Jesus had come to save them, but save them from what? And why was He riding on a donkey, specifically, the colt of a donkey? What did the events surrounding that Palm Sunday teach us about who Jesus is, what He came to do, and what He wants us to do?
No doubt Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on the back of a colt fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (Ref. Zechariah 9:9); but Jesus’ arrival in this way also proved that…
1) Jesus is King.
In riding in on a colt, Jesus is accepting His title as King of the Jews.
2) Jesus is King of peace.
In the ancient Middle East, kings rode horses if they were going to war, but donkeys if they were coming in peace. Jesus’ choice of a donkey communicated exactly what He intended and what Scripture prophesied.
3) Jesus is King of Peace the People Needed!
Jesus was not the king the people wanted; but he was absolutely the king they desperately needed. He is the king we all need!
Jesus was on a mission; a passion filled mission to free us from the oppression of sin and it’s penalty, death. (Rom 6:23). The bad news is, sin plagues us all; and the penalty of sin is spiritual death, eternal separation from God. But the Good News is that God has graciously offered us the gift of salvation and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ!
Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day ultimately on His way to Calvary’s cross, where He would give His life so that we might have eternal life. (Jn 3:16-17) Jesus was God’s amazing gift of grace for you and me! So the question for you is simple: Have you admitted your sin, placed your faith in Jesus, and invited Him to save you from sin’s penalty of death?
What did Jesus’ triumphal entry teach us about what Jesus needs, requires, desires from us?
1) Jesus desires authentic worship. (Lk 19:36-38)
Many in this crowd were authentically worshipping Jesus, and Jesus gladly accepted their worship. He did not discourage it in any way. But there were some in the crowd who were simply hoping to get something from Jesus, like more of the miracles they had heard about or witnessed from Him.
Sometimes, without even intending too, we can have that same attitude toward Christ, hoping to get something from Him as opposed to simply giving Him what He rightly desires… authentic worship. (Ps 29:1-2)
2) Jesus desires authentic worship from the heart. (Lk 19:39-40)
Authentic worship always stems from the heart! The Pharisees did not like what they were seeing from Jesus’ followers. They found it blasphemous. They wanted Jesus to stop them; but Jesus would not, which reveals who He is and that He desires our worship! In fact, He said, if the people didn't worship Him, the stones would!
Ironically, earlier in his ministry, Jesus had rebuked the Pharisees for their inauthentic hearts (Matthew 15:8). Jesus is most concerned with the condition of our hearts. (Matt 22:37). Is your heart’s desire to love God and to worship Him?
3) Jesus desires authentic worship from the heart born out of faith in Him! (Luke 19:41-42)
Why was Jesus weeping at a moment that should have been a joyous celebration as He entered the city? The reality is that Jesus knew the superficiality of the peoples’ hearts, The sad truth is that many of these inauthentic worshippers shouting “Hosanna” would soon enough be shouting “Crucify Him,” and it broke Jesus’ heart.
Jesus wanted just one thing for the people of Jerusalem that day… He wanted them, in their heart of hearts, to know that He was the One they had been waiting for all these generations; to know that He was the long awaited Messiah; to know that He had come to bring them peace with God. He wanted them to place their faith in Him. But they just didn’t know it. They couldn’t see it. They wouldn’t really believe it.
You know what breaks Jesus’ heart today? What causes Him to weep? When a lost person, when confronted with the Good News, chooses not to believe in Him, to surrender their heart to Him, to place their faith in Him. I’m sure He weeps for that person. At the same time, do you know what causes Jesus and the angels of heaven to rejoice? When a lost person declares, “Jesus is Lord!” (Lk 15:10)
Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a colt on the Sunday before His crucifixion on Friday because: He is King, He is King of Peace; He is King of Peace we all need!
So what does Jesus our King of Peace desire from us? He desires our authentic worship; our authentic worship from the heart; our authentic worship from the heart born out of faith in Him!
