Kings and stuff, right? Like
Henry VIII. Crown on head, hands on hips, eyes fastened on you from a massive
portrait with that, ‘You looking at me?’ stare. Yep, that’s a king, alright;
with intimidating life or death powers at his command.
These days we prefer our Monarchs
to be of the constitutional rather than absolute variety. Democracy and all
that. But in the ancient world rulers held unquestioned sway over their
subjects. Or at least if you did dare to question, it wouldn’t end well for
you. Well, yes, there was Charles I, but let’s not go there. By and large,
kings ruled, OK?
On Palm Sunday a different kind of King rode into town. The town was Jerusalem and the
King was Jesus. The crowds hailed him as the King who had come in the name of
the Lord. They gave him the ancient equivalent of the red carpet treatment by
strewing his path with palm branches. But, uh? What kind of King is this?
King Jesus wasn’t seated upon a
stately war horse, but a humble donkey. He rode into Jerusalem as the King of
Peace, not to obliterate his enemies, but to lay down his life for them. By the
following Friday he did just that when the King of the Jews was crucified
outside the walls of the Holy City.
Jesus said, ‘The Son of Man has
come not to be served, but to serve and give his life a ransom for many.’ He
was bent not on self-aggrandizing conquest, but dying in our place out of
self-giving love. Jesus was willing to pay the price so that people like you
and me may be forgiven and be put right with God through faith in him.
Jesus rose from the dead on the
first Easter Sunday morning. He was exalted to God’s right hand as King of
kings and Lord of lords. ‘This is our God, the Servant King, he calls us now
to follow him.’
*For White Horse News, March edition.
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