Dec 26

Read Zech 9:1-17 and Pr 30:1-10

In Biblical times, the Israelites recognized the donkey as a royal beast.  Donkeys were historically linked with kings.  When the great King David was about to die, and had to anoint his successor, he gave orders to put his son Solomon on his royal Donkey and to parade him through town.  This way, everyone would recognize Solomon as the new king! 

In fact, 500 years before Jesus was even born, Zechariah prophesized about the coming of the Jewish Messiah.  And this is what he wrote:

9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! 

       Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! 

       See, your king comes to you, 

       righteous and having salvation, 

       gentle and riding on a donkey, 

       on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

The donkey makes a huge important statement here:  Here comes the King!  Here comes the one! And as Jesus, this humble and gentle king, who fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah, enters into Jerusalem, a huge crowd lines his path.  The crowd shout “Hosanna, Hosanna” or God saves!  

One of the groups gathered around Jesus that day, gathered around Jesus for religious reasons.  The reputation of Jesus as a miracle worker had spread.  It was just the day before that Jesus had produced the mightiest miracle he had ever done.  Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead.  Writes Edward Markquart “The crowds had heard about these miracles, and everyone wanted to see if he could pull off another trick like that. The crowd wanted to see more miracles.  They wanted to see another deaf person hear. They wanted to see a blind man be given sight. They wanted to see the skin of a leper made pure. Just like on television.  They wanted to see the healer in action, this mighty miracle worker.  And if they saw a miracle, let me tell you, if they saw a man actually raised from the dead, then they would believe.  If they actually saw a blind man be given sight, they would then be true believers. If the Houdini of the Holy Land could pull another trick out of his bag, they would believe.”   This group of people only saw Jesus as a divine magician or holy healer.

But, there was a second group of people that day.  Larger than the first.  This second group didn’t want a religious carnival; they weren’t looking for the Houdini of the Holy Land.  No, these people were much more serious. These people were looking for a political revolution. A coup d’etat.  On this Passover day, when Jesus came riding into town, there had already been thirty-two political riots in the past five years alone.  And so, the crowds were supercharged with expectation and hope of freedom and deliverance from Rome!  Maybe this Jesus would be the one that would lead and overthrow the yoke of Roman Slavery.  This was the second group that was present on that first Palm Sunday.  The people who saw Jesus as a military revolutionary.  

Who is Jesus?  A holy healer? A revolutionary? A carpenter?

Or our Saviour?

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