Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be “from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.”

Zechariah 9: 9-10

What is the image that comes into your mind when you think of the triumphant king entering a city? I think of great pageantry, of mounted soldiers riding ahead of the king, with their battle trophies on display. Maybe musicians would play songs of victory and people would line the streets to cheer. The Jewish people of Jesus’ day were waiting on a King, and I wonder if they had a similar image of their triumphant King. The people lined the street to cheer when Jesus entered Jerusalem, but there were no mounted soldiers riding ahead, no battle trophies on display, and no musicians providing victory songs.

God rarely does things the way we expect. He sent His Son to live as a human, but his birth took place in a stable, of all places. There was some fanfare, but the witnesses were lowly shepherds. Wise men brought gifts, but quietly left so as not to alert Herod. Jesus grew up as a carpenter’s son, and when he began his ministry, He called fishermen to be His army, and served others, rather than expecting to be served. Why would we expect His triumphal entry to be a pageant when He didn’t live a regal life. Instead, He rode in on a donkey’s colt, spoke peace to the nations, and will rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. Jesus didn’t come to rule an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly kingdom that would never end, and we are blessed to be the family of the King.

Thank you, Lord, for doing the unexpected, for sending your Son to be the King of Kings, the Lamb of God, and the Prince of Peace. We celebrate His triumphal entry today, but we know the dark days of His betrayal, trial, and crucifixion are coming soon. Be with us as we remember all that Jesus endured to carry our sins to the cross. Forgive us for our sins that make the cross necessary. In Jesus’ name. Amen.