John 12:12-19 – Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
- ”Not just what you do but how you do it”
- Jesus decides to specifically proclaim who He is.
- He does this not simply with words but a symbolic act.
- He chooses to ride in on a donkey; this moment is so crucial to His ministry that all four gospels record it.
- Riding on a Donkey declared three things:
- Riding on a horse, donkey etc declared He was a King. Zech 9:9.
- Riding in to Jerusalem on a donkey invoked remez and hinted at the messianic prophecies. So He was not just declaring himself King of the Jews but also the Messiah. Isaiah 62:11.
- Riding on a donkey and not a horse also sent a message. It talked about the kind of Kings He would be.
- But perhaps lost amongst the first two more obvious meanings is a third;
- Horses were often used to talk of war and pride – yet here Jesus alludes to the type of Kingship He will bring. It is humble. Deuteronomy 17:16; Psalm 20:6-9;
- Similar to the ”Is God Sentimental?” devotional, this speaks to me as a leader that it is not simply about who I am but how I am. God is important not simply that He has called us to lead but that we lead in His nature.
- He did not do the things He could have done to convince people to believe and force His God-given Lordship.
- Rather they don’t follow me that me lead the wrong way.
- A good reminder for me today.
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