During Holy Week, I can just imagine what it must have been like in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. Jesus made His triumphal entrance into the city and His followers were awaiting the moment when He would overthrow Rome and take His place as their earthly King. It must have been confusing to them when He continued to teach rather than forming a battle plan. Instead of lining up His appointed officials, He taught of the heavenly value of humility. Instead of preparing soldiers and obtaining weapons, He told them they needed to love God and their neighbor above all us. Instead of making plans to establish an earthly kingdom, He warned them that they were too busy trying to look good on the outside. They were missing the whole point of the law and they were going to end up missing heaven, too.
The religious leaders were sick and tired of Jesus! They were tired of hearing Him claim to be God and tell them how unholy they were. They had to get rid of Him, so they were busy plotting His capture. In the meantime, the followers of Jesus were wondering what He was up to. Things weren’t going the way they had thought they would go. After all, the man they hoped would soon be their king had entered Jerusalem on a donkey colt and not on a mighty steed.
Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet He is humble, riding on a donkey – riding on a donkey’s colt. – Zechariah 9:9 NLT
But Jesus’ first coming wasn’t about setting up His earthly rule. Jesus’ first coming was about offering Salvation to this world. Before He rules and reigns on earth, Jesus wants to rule and reign in your life. One day He will return to earth to take His rightful place as King and when He does, every knee will bow and every tongue will declare that He is Lord!
For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow – in heaven and on earth and under the earth – and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:10-11 CSB
