DAY 1 HE IS KING
Zechariah 9:9-11, Matthew 21:1-11
Have you ever had to tell a friend something half a dozen times before they really heard you? It’s amazing how often we hear only what we want to hear. That’s exactly what’s happening with Jesus and the crowds in Matthew 21.
On the one hand, Zechariah’s prophecy hundreds of years before was very clear: this king would be “humble and riding on a donkey.” Emphasis on humble. But in the Israelite imagination, even though King Solomon ought to exhibit humility when he rides in on the donkey in 1 Kings 1:33, he is still King Solomon! He is their champion, a symbol of power at the height of their kingdom.
So, it should come as no surprise to us that the crowds surrounding Jesus put the emphasis on the power and prestige of their king rather than the humility and lowliness of their king. The palm branch was a nationalistic symbol for Israel, even printed on their coins. If Jesus came to America, it would have been like us draping an American flag across his shoulders. They wanted a conqueror. They didn’t know that their true deliverer had come so that He could lay down His life.
REFLECTION
- How does Jesus redefine the way we think about being King?
- What would it look like for you to surrender an area of your life to King Jesus?
- What is one way this week that you can choose to take on the humility of King Jesus rather than asserting yourself or your position?
PRAYER
Jesus, help us to recognize You as King over every part of our lives, and help us to follow Your example of humility with others around us.
