Donkey or War Horse?

Luke 19:28-48

Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Luke 19:38

As Jesus rode into town, on the day we now call Palm Sunday, he was received as a king by the Jewish people. Many had been with Jesus throughout his journey of healing, preaching, and teaching and saw in this act the fulfillment of messianic prophesy (Zech 9). God's promises were coming true! They had hoped the messiah would re-establish the rule of God, restore the reign of David, and depose all foreign invaders. The messiah would be a great leader who would rule with divine power.

Meanwhile on the other side of town, Pilate and his army come to Jerusalem for the festival of Passover. He came with warhorses, soldiers, armor, and weapons. Pilate comes to town to keep the peace through intimidation and force. The Romans were quite aware of all the Jewish customs and hopes and wanted to keep everything calm.

Jesus of course does not come as conquering hero, but as a humble servant. He came to redeem and restore God's people, but not by force or might. Jesus came to transform a nation through love of God and love of neighbor. Jesus came to town on a donkey and not a warhorse. It would have been easier to see Jesus as the messiah if he had seized earthly power; it would have improved living conditions for the Jewish people if he had expelled the Romans. But God was up to something quite different in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.