king

"As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”
⁴ They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, ⁵ some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” ⁶ They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. ⁷ When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. ⁸ Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. ⁹ Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

¹⁰ “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

¹¹ Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve."

(Mark 11)

Today is Palm Sunday, the Sunday before the Passover and before the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus that very week. This is the day Jesus rode in to Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling a prophecy written hundreds of years earlier:

"Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
    Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
    righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey. " (Zechariah 9:9)

The Jews knew the prophecies, and they knew exactly what Jesus was saying: He is the Messiah. And so they paved a path for Him with their robes, the waved palm branches in honor, and they shouted, "Hosanna!" which means, "save us!" They knew He was the promised one, the one who would deliver them from oppression. They were ready for Him to be king. Or so they thought.

The people were right: He was their Messiah, coming to deliver them from oppression. But not in the way they were expecting. He wasn't delivering them from the Roman domination, He was saving them from the bondage of sin that they could never escape alone. He wasn't coming for political victory, but eternal salvation. He wasn't coming to be a short-lived king over Israel, He was coming because He was and is King of the world.

King. We have seemed to forget this characteristic of Jesus, or at least undervalue it. We love that He is our Savior, Redeemer, Mediator, Sacrificial Lamb, role model, etc. But He is also the King. The good news that Jesus preached was that "The Kingdom of God is at hand!" We long for the kingdom of God, but do we long for the King?

At church this evening, we were challenged to consider what areas of our life we have not surrendered to his Kingship. Jesus says to flat-out follow Him. That involves surrender, not just of a part of our lives, but all of it. He says He is our King. We can reject Him. But if we accept Him, we must give Him everything. Jesus asks for all or nothing. But He loves you so much that He died in order to gain your trust so you could give Him everything.

Maybe you've made God the King of your relationships; what about your finances? Maybe He is King of your possessions; what about your time management? Maybe He is King over your education; what about your emotions? We cannot live a categorized, fragmented life. Ask yourself: What else do I need to surrender to God as my King?