Who Is Jesus? Part 3Sýnishorn

Driving It Home

This chapter depicts what’s called the Triumphal Entry. But even in this moment when Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, publicly fulfilling messianic prophecies, He does so with such humility. It’s no wonder the people make a huge deal about it. Not only do they recognize Jesus for all His miracles, but they also see Him in stark contrast with their oppressors, the Romans. 

See, Jesus arrives on a young donkey with a dozen dusty, smelly guys, most of whom are not even old enough to be considered taxable citizens! He’s this traveling teacher whose reputation precedes Him. With no formal announcement, crowds gather to welcome Jesus to Jerusalem. And they welcome Him as a king. There’s shouting and dancing in the streets: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” People are literally ripping off their jackets and laying them in the mud for His donkey to walk on. They’re begging and believing that Jesus has come to save them. 

Now picture this. Later that day or week, another well-known figure enters the city. Trumpets announce his arrival. He’s surrounded by dozens of armed Roman soldiers. He’s not known for his compassionate hand in the lives of citizens, but for his oppressive leadership. He sits high on a horse trained for war, with fine robes draped over him. This is Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, who served as an extension of the most powerful man on the planet. He carried all the pomp and circumstance that came with his title. The people do not celebrate his coming; they dread it. 

At the triumphal entry, the contrast between God’s Kingdom and the kingdoms of this world are on full display. Jesus’ Kingdom and kingship are altogether different. His authority is defined by His integrity. Every time Jesus teaches something new and different, He then goes and demonstrates it. We are shown here the truth from the last chapter. That Jesus’ Kingdom is not about power or prestige, but compassion and humility. Jesus knew He was coming to die, to sacrifice His life for the very people whose shouts of “Hosanna” would soon turn to shouts of “Crucify Him!” But He came anyway.  Because Jesus didn’t come just to tell us about His Kingdom and the true way of being human—He could have done that from heaven. No, He came to show us, in person, the kind of God we get to call our King and the kind of people we were always meant to be.

What’s next? Let’s continue to discover more of who Jesus is together! Start Who Is Jesus? Part 4 with your friends today. You can find it in the Switch Bible Plan collection at www.go2.lc/SwitchBiblePlans.