Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey; the crowds recognize this as a fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy. This man who had the power to raise the dead was their King! They joyfully bring Him into Jerusalem with shouts of praise. However, these same people five days later would demand the crucifixion of their King and declare that they had no king but Caesar. How could so many people change their minds so quickly?
The King the Jews wanted
The Jews had a distorted view of Scripture that tainted their view of the coming Messiah. They saw the Jewish people as having divine favor from birth. They were destined to rule the world, and the Messiah would come and destroy their enemies so that they could enjoy prosperity, power, and peace. They were looking for a King that would overthrow the Romans and establish Jewish rule throughout the world. They needed a King like Jesus. If He could raise the dead surely He could overthrow the Romans.
The King Jesus was
The true teaching of Scripture is that we were created for God’s glory. Because of this, it is our sin that is the problem; our flesh is the enemy, not the ruling government. We are born out of favor with God, and we must be born again and given a new life. To raise a dead sinner and give him new life while overthrowing his sinful nature requires miraculous, divine power. Jesus came to save sinners and establish the Kingdom of God, not the Jewish nation. He came to bring people under the gracious rule of God, not under the self-serving rule of the Jews.
We are still looking for the wrong King
People today are still looking for the wrong type of king. We are looking for a political savior, an economic savior, etc. We view political opponents, governments, high taxes, etc. as the enemy, and we want Jesus to be the King Who uses His divine power to bring about our personal power and prosperity. However, Jesus only offers to over throw self and rule over every facet of your personal life. This is why so many people reject Jesus. They want to use Him for their own selfish ends as opposed to being used by Him for the glory of God. In short, Jesus is not the King people want; He is the wrong type of King.
Application
Will you submit to the gracious rule of Jesus Christ and enter His Kingdom?
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