One thought I want to interject ahead of today’s devotional -- as you’ll see, one point that is brought up that was also brought up in my church’s Palm Sunday sermon (and one other devotional/video that I came across) is that the Israelites truly expected Jesus to be a military hero and restore Israel in the natural by conquering Rome. That didn’t happen. Of course I’ve long been familiar with the overall storyline of Jesus’s last week here on earth while in the flesh, but each time I go back (just like when I read through the Bible) I notice God unearthing something new, something that I hadn’t previously noticed or previously emphasized. Last year, it was the truth that Jesus laid His life down at the cross, not that anyone actually succeeded at killing Him. This year, it’s that, because the Jews expected a military hero, not a spiritual hero, that they ended up turning on Him when the chief priests and scribes convinced them to vote for Barabbas’s release and for the Christ’s execution.
Anyway, in case you haven’t noticed, this is Holy Week. Unlike the rest of Lent, in which my paying attention to it has continued to drop the further away I get from my Episcopal days, Holy Week is still a big deal, as it should be. Although I’ve come to terms with Christmas being considered a bigger deal than even Resurrection Sunday (to be next Sunday) by considering Christmas as an annual “Celebration of Life” for Jesus (even though He’s still alive unlike every other person who has passed away), I still wish to emphasize that remembering Jesus’s last week here on earth in the flesh is just as important, if not even more important. Those who have received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, Lord, and King, do so not because He was born in a manger to a betrothed-but-still-yet-unmarried virgin, but because He willingly sacrificed His life and shed His blood on a cross, execution-style, and then rose again from the dead on the third day after He passed. That’s what this week is all about.
“Tell the daughter of Zion,‘Behold, your King is coming to you,Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
A Gentle King Who Makes Peace
Centuries before Jesus, the prophet Zechariah had spoken to a defeated, downtrodden Israel, promising a king who would come not in power or might but humbly, on a donkey. That king would establish peace, not by force, but by the Spirit.
When the crowds welcomed Jesus during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, convinced He was this king, they hoped He would overthrow Rome and restore Israel’s independence. But Jesus didn’t meet their expectations. Instead of raising a sword, He surrendered peacefully. He endured mockery, injustice, and the cross with humility and love.
Jesus wasn’t just any king; He was the King who makes peace—peace between God and humanity and, through Him, peace among people. His kingdom isn't about power plays or revenge but about reconciliation and grace.
Jesus' gentle reign challenges us to love even our enemies, just as he loved us.
https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.21.5.NKJV
Prayer: God, thank You for sending Jesus, our humble King, who brings peace and reconciliation. Transform my heart to reflect His gentle love and grace, even toward my enemies. Help me trust You and surrender my desires for control. May Your peace rule in me and through me. Amen.