Jesus entered Jerusalem on a colt (a young donkey). This was quite unusual because Jesus always chose to walk and it was very seldom for him to ride on something, except riding on some boats with his disciples and, in some instances, while he was teaching at the lakeshore. However, the significance of this event was that Jesus needed the colt in order to demonstrate to the people of Jerusalem that He is the Messiah.
The Prophet Zechariah prophesied about the King. He told the people during his time that: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O Daughter of Jerusalem behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Jesus simply demonstrated to the people that Zechariah’s prophesy was all about him. He told them that, indeed, he is their King.
The people wanted to make Jesus their King. But what they had in mind, the kind of a King that they wanted is so far from the kind of Kingship that Christ had to offer. The people wanted a liberator, who will set them free from the oppressive Roman authorities. They wanted a proclaimer of the good news, that they would enjoy a better life. They wanted a miracle-worker, who would thereby turn their pains and other physical problems into the best condition that a normal person would enjoy. They wanted a King to lead them away from the Roman oppression, a King who will defend their rights by all means.
On the other hand, what Jesus had in mind is a Kingship which was far from the realities of this world. He wanted to establish his Kingship by making the people experience freedom not from oppression but freedom from their slavery to sin. He wanted to proclaim to them that the people must pay allegiance to the King not because of fear but because of their love for God. He wanted to spare them from the harshness of life but living their lives virtuously and knowing for a fact that complexities in life were mere products of one’s sinfulness.
Not so long after the shouting of their “Hosanna to the King”, it turned to a cry of “crucify him”! We can easily guess that the reason was that Jesus did not turn out to be like that King that they have always imagined. He did not even have the courage and capacity to defend himself and he did not have an army at his beck and call. They were so frustrated and so they decided to have him face the consequences of messing with their lunatic ambitions. They did not understand the real meaning of the Kingship of Christ.
Truly, Christ is our King! He is the King of love. He loves us all unconditionally and with no known limits at all. He is our King who is always ready to spend time to hear our cries and to be always one with us in our sorrows and sufferings. He is a King who is always ready to serve us when we are weak and feeling down. He is our King who will always be there to guide and save us every time we are faced with the perils of sin and death. A kind of a King who will always give us all that we need in order for us to improve especially in our life of holiness.
As we meditate and relive the events of the first Holy Week, let us take the challenge to make Jesus the real King of our lives. If he is the King, then we also must be ready to become slaves of his love. We must also be prepared to become subjects of his reign of love, mercy and forgiveness and these things will only come true for each and everyone of us if we will also learn from his life and example. This Holy Week, let us reflect on the great love of God manifested in Jesus as He died to remove our guilt and sin and to restore us into the right relationship with the Father. Let us therefore shout our own “Hosanna to the King” seriously this time because we are now ready to take on the challenge to be real subjects of God’s Kingdom!
Have a Blessed Holy Week everyone!