The Coming King - Palm Sunday

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9)

Here the prophet Zechariah describes the 1st coming of Jesus over 500 years before it occurred. He correctly refers to Him as, "having salvation." Therefore, when Jesus did enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey, as prophesied, the people cried, "Hosanna!" or, literally, "Save now!" (Matthew 21:9). They were hoping Jesus had come to save them from the Roman government and establish His kingdom on earth now.

As Jesus drew near to the city Luke's gospel tells us "He wept," because the people did not know the scriptures well enough to understand the reason for His first coming (v.41-44), and those who did (scribes, chief priests Pharisees) were scheming to kill Him out of fear and jealousy. As news of His arrest and interrogation became public, and His expected kingship here on earth began to fade, many of those same people who cried "Hosanna" were now crying, "Crucify Hm."

While the Jews were looking for a savior to liberate them from Roman rule, the purpose for Jesus' first coming was to die for the sins of the world, to be the perfect sacrifice for you and for me. Though many are still looking for Messiah, may we not miss the fact and purpose of His first coming, because His second coming will be much different.

The Truth
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." (2 Peter 3:10)