A Different Kind of King: A Palm Sunday Reflection
Palm Sunday is here again. And once more it finds us in the midst of noisy political arguments - where Christian faith too often gets swept up in nationalism, party politics, and the quest for power. In a world often looking for a leader - a 'king' - who will back our side, push our agenda, and defeat our enemies, Palm Sunday invites us back to Jerusalem to meet a very different kind of King.
The King They Didn’t Expect
Jesus didn't stumble into Jerusalem by chance on that first Palm Sunday; His entrance was planned, prophetic, and provocative. Choosing to ride on a donkey, He acted out the words of the prophet Zechariah. It was a clear declaration, "I am King". But He instantly shattered expectations. He didn't arrive on a warhorse, brandish a sword, or gather an army; He came humbly and peacefully, ready for a mission that would ultimately lead not to a throne, but to a cross.
When ‘Save Us’ Means Something Else
The crowds shouted, "Hosanna!" - "Save us!". But what kind of saving were they hoping for? Were they dreaming of a political revolution? Freedom from their Roman occupiers? A return to Israel's past glories? When Jesus’ kingship started to look to them like weakness and failure instead of power and conquest, the cheers quickly turned to jeers. "Crucify Him!", they would soon cry.
Today, we are still crying out, "Save us!". But the question Palm Sunday puts to us is: will we welcome the King who comes riding on the donkey, or will we turn away because He doesn't fit the mould we've created for Him?
The Call of Palm Sunday
In a world that chases after power, Palm Sunday presents us with the jarring counter-image of a very different kind of King: Jesus, who comes to sacrifice, not to dominate. He refuses to be turned into a political tool or a mascot for national pride. His kingdom is not of this world. It’s a kingdom marked not by a throne but by a cross - its crown made of thorns, its power revealed not in the corridors of worldly influence but in humility, in lifting up the broken and forgotten, and in speaking truth in love.
This Palm Sunday, may we find the courage to welcome the King who comes to save, even when He arrives in ways we don’t expect. May we have the honesty to confront our desire for the wrong kind of king, and the faith to follow Jesus on His own terms. The salvation He offers is far deeper than the quick fixes and shallow victories we so often seek.
Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.