Advent - We Have Found The KingSýnishorn

In Luke 19:28-40, we have a detailed description about the time Jesus entered Jerusalem on Sunday and before He was crucified on Friday. This event is known as the Triumphant Entry and is a fulfillment of a prophecy found in Zachariah 9:9. The event was exactly the opposite of what the Jews expected from their Messiah. The word “messiah” means “deliverer”. The Jews expected a political leader, not a spiritual leader. They expected a triumphant, charismatic leader who would destroy the power of Rome and make them a great nation as Israel had been under the reign of King David and King Solomon. Nothing in their Jewish background prepared them to follow a Messiah who would suffer and die. Even His own disciples struggled with the concept.

Zachariah tells us that the King is coming. He is righteous and He is humble. He is riding on a colt of a donkey. The donkey was not an animal that symbolized war or victory; it was a symbol of peace. Jesus came to bring peace. This peace is not an absence of trials or struggles in life. It is a peace that brings contentment and joy to life regardless of the circumstances.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem that Sunday on the colt, He blew away all preconceived ideas about His role as the Messiah. The crowds laid down their coats and palm branches and proclaimed “Hosanna, Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord”. However, this same crowd, when faced with the reality that Jesus was not going to be the “Messiah” they envisioned, pronounced His death sentence and approved of His crucifixion.

Many times life does not look like what we expect. There is illness, financial issues, relationship problems, and so on. Every one of us must decide if we will continue to have faith in the One who came to us on a colt, or look for another who will do life the way we want it. Where will Jesus be in your life this Christmas season? Only you can decide.

Dr. George Loutherback, UMHB Chaplain, Spiritual Life