The Humble King

Introduction Psalm 110:1-2

The ancient Jews believed Jesus to be a Conqueror Messiah. They believed He would come and wipe away their oppressors, the Romans. However, the Romans were just one oppressor in a long line of oppressing nations. Jesus did not represent what we picture a regal king to look like at all. Let’s look at the expectations of the Conqueror Messiah and the reality of the Servant Messiah.

The Contradictory Entrance of the King Zechariah 9:9

Zechariah prophecies the coming Messiah in this verse. See the contradictions of his prophecy. He cries for Jerusalem to rejoice in the coming of the King. The king who is righteous and victorious, but also humble and riding on a donkey.

Jesus Fulfills Prophecy Matthew 21:1-10

In these verses the prophecy spoken by Zechariah is fulfilled, and Jesus enters Jerusalem as a righteous King, humbly on His donkey.

Jesus Rides a Donkey Matthew 21:1-7

The donkey is a humble form of transport because a ruler, king, or emperor would segregate himself from the people by riding a horse, or even a palanquin. A donkey, being shorter and more common showed Him to be a King among the people, not just a distant ruler. Where a king of the world would appear regal, distant, imperious; Jesus comes humbly, present, and approachable.

Hosanna to the Son of David Matthew 21:8-10

Hosanna comes from the Hebrew “hoshia-na” and means “to save” or “save us now”. The people of Israel desired their Messiah to save them from Roman oppression. Although Jesus was riding into Jerusalem to claim victory, that victory was not over the Romans, or any of the current oppressors of Israel. Rome was just another nation in a long line of nations to Jesus. He will eventually claim dominion over all nations (as we saw in Isaiah 9:6-7), but for now His victory remains in the spiritual realm.

A Kingdom Not of This World John 18:33-37

Jesus makes it plain to Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world. The Bible tells us that our fight is not in the physical world, but the spiritual. If our fight is in the spiritual, and Jesus has won victory in the spiritual, why do we act as if we will lose the fight? Notice that when Jesus ascends, and the Holy Spirit comes upon the believers at Pentecost, they all fought like they didn’t when He was arrested.