The whole city was stirred. With tens of thousands in the city, the atmosphere was electrifying, the shouts deafening. Some spread their cloaks on the ground before Him as one who did so before a king (2 Kings 9:13). Others spread palm branches, symbolic of the freedom a deliverer might bring to enslaved people.

They sang from Psalm 118, affirming Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah. Their hearts were filled with nationalistic fervour. As Jesus rode a colt into Jerusalem, the crowd enthroned Him as the Davidic King.

They sang from Psalm 118, affirming Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah. Their hearts were filled with nationalistic fervour. As Jesus rode a colt into Jerusalem, the crowd enthroned Him as the Davidic King.

For 400 years, the Jews had been under foreign power bondage (Babylonian, Persian, Greek-Seleucid, Roman). When they saw Jesus riding on a donkey, fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy that pointed to the deliverer and affirming His kingship, they believed that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah who will free them from the Romans.

But five days later, they wanted Him

DEAD.

Isn’t it strange that the Jews so quickly turned against the one whom they had just crowned as king?

The Jews were right to proclaim Jesus their Messiah. But they were wrong in their expectation about the kind of king He is. They had not understood that His kingdom was not a physical kingdom in this world—at least not just yet (John 18:36). The fact that Jesus rode on a donkey should have told them that Christ’s kingship would not be what they had expected.

The Jews wanted a king, but on their terms. When it dawned upon them a few days later that Jesus had not come to deliver them from the Romans, they turned against Him.

The Jews wanted a king, but on their terms. When it dawned upon them a few days later that Jesus had not come to deliver them from the Romans, they turned against Him.

On Sunday, they shouted:

“Crown him!”.

On Friday, many in that same crowd shouted even louder:

“Crucify him!”

(Matthew 27:23).

I suspect that many of us are like the Jews on Palm Sunday. We crown Jesus as king when we are in a celebrative and anticipatory atmosphere—like at a Sunday worship service. And we sing many hymns and songs that proclaim Him as king. Crown Him with Many Crowns. Jesus, We Enthrone You. And rightly so. Because He indeed is the king.

But we have our personal agendas for Him to fulfil—health, wealth, happiness, success, and material blessings.

Tap to view.

We WANT Him to heal us from our sickness.

Tap to view.

We WANT Him to deliver us from a specific situation.

Tap to view.

We WANT Him to bless us materially.

Tap to view.

We WANT Him to give us success in our business ventures.

When He fails to deliver according to our expectations, our celebration turns to

condemnation.

Will we let Christ be king,

not on our terms, but on His?

Will you enthrone Christ as king,

without any personal agendas attached?

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