“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
No doubt, this verse may sound familiar to you. Around 500 years after this was written, Jesus road into Jerusalem on a donkey. Yet often, we read about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and miss this much important connection. Yes, we read the Triumphal entry and recognize Jesus as King, but we miss the gravity of what that means when tied to the book of Zechariah. That is, that Jesus is the Humble King sent by God to restore an Exiled people.
It’s interesting to think that in the midst of the exile, there is a positive message to share. For decades, people of Israel and Judah were sieged and enslaved. Their families and possessions taken captive by the Babylonians and then the Persians. War after war, loss after loss. They were hopeless.
Then came the good news, from the power of God spoken through the lips of the prophet Zechariah. A King was on the way. A King who will restore the nation, who will restore God’s promise people.
Even better, this was not a King riding in on a war horse, or chariots, but the lowly donkey, and a young colt at that. We’re talking a small and somewhat untamed donkey, as the chosen stead for the greatest King to ever exist. With in this good news, would be shock and awe. Surely, people rejected this message the moment they heard about the donkey’s colt.
Jesus is King:
In a similar manner, some people today have chosen to downplay calling Jesus King. In this last political season, many Christians from all across the political spectrum were saying that regardless of the vote, Jesus is still King. Which is so true, and I know I defiantly said it, and frequently.
Yet, there was a branch of Christians that I observed, push back against saying such words. Why? Because, supposedly, saying such words dismisses the life experiences of those who are oppressed, whether that be their race, culture, or sexual identity. While I see why some may view that as such, if I’m going to be honest, they have an incomplete view of who Christ is.
Jesus being King, needs to be heard in light of these following realities: 1) Christ is Humble, for He did not come as a war hero or an oppressor, but as one who will be oppressed, and 2) As one who was oppressed, Jesus suffered for those who claim that Him being King dismisses their personal experience.
I only say this, because I wish they would see their pain and suffering in light of what Christ has suffered. He sits on the throne, to restore all that is broken and wrong. Every tear shed from our eyes will not be in vain because Jesus sits on the throne. He did not promise that we would live perfect and painless lives now. Instead, Him sitting on the throne means that in our suffering of life we can have Hope in Him. I will not ever retract saying that Jesus is King. For when I say, Christ is still King, I intentionally choose to look beyond my present sufferings and instead look to my eternal Lord who abides with me in my struggle.
So, to my Republican friends, Christ is still King, even as Biden won the election.
And to my Democrat friends, Christ is still King, even if Trump would have won.
For His Lordship, that is Christ, is not determined or affected by who is president, nor the present sufferings Christians face. We must look to Him as the Humble King.
Humble:
He did not come riding on the clouds to bring destruction, to the sinful people, nor on a war horse with all His commendations attached. He rode in wearing plain clothing, on a plain young donkey, with a bunch of plain disciples. The God and creator of everything, road in plainly. With the exception of the crowd making a spectacle of it of course.
His humility is so important here. It’s what separates Him from every king or authority Jerusalem had ever had. It is what separates Him from even us. Though many of us see ourselves as potentially ordinary, common, and down to earth people, that does not mean humility. For while Christ has power and authority to do whatever He pleased, He choose to instead follow the plan that would truly save us. Doing so in a way that preserved the perfect relationships that is the Holy Trinity, to keep Satan in his rightful place as a caste away, and to mediate for humanity, something humanity was unfit to do.
The King laid down His life, so that we might have new life. No longer are we Exiles from His Kingdom, but we have been invited in and restored. Given opportunity to no longer live in rebellion but choose Christ as our King, the Lord of our lives. When He rides in one His donkey, not only does it designate Him as King, but it also ushers in the real restoration and healing of the city, as He prepares a place for us to be. The good news is that this Humble King as made us no longer exiles but invited us to be adopted by the Father.
Final Blessing:
Christ being the Humble King does not invalidate the present, it only helps Him be present in our sufferings as He restores us to be holy and with Him. He does not do so on a war horse, but on a donkey, slowly and gently rebuilding our hearts to be His. He calls us to follow Him, and join in this restorative work. It’s good news that Jesus is King.
Now may the Lord of Life and Redemption be with you in every step, every breathe, and every heartbeat of your journey.
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