devotional post # 2037

Luke 19:28=35

Luk 19:28 And after he had told these stories, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

Luk 19:29 Now when he came near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples,

Luk 19:30 telling them, “Go to the next village ahead of you. When you enter it, you will find a colt tied there on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.

Luk 19:31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.'”

Luk 19:32 So those who were sent ahead found it exactly as he had told them.

Luk 19:33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?”

Luk 19:34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

Luk 19:35 Then they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt, and had Jesus get on it.

his choice of ride

By the time He approached Jerusalem, Jesus was already a marked man. The religious authorities had decided He was a threat. The political powers were uneasy. The crowds were unpredictable. Any public display could have accelerated the danger—and Jesus knew it. Yet He chose not only to enter the city but to do so in a way that drew every eye. He arranged a procession that would force the question of His identity into the open. This was not accidental. It was intentional, deliberate, and brave.

But His courage was not the courage of a revolutionary general. His choice of a donkey, rather than a war horse, made that unmistakably clear. He was fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy of a king who comes “gentle and riding on a donkey,” a king who brings peace rather than bloodshed. Jesus was offering Himself to Jerusalem not as a conqueror but as a reconciler. He was presenting Himself as the rightful King, yet a King who would win His kingdom not by force but by sacrifice. His entry was royal, but His posture was humble. His claim was bold, but His manner was meek.

This contrast is essential. There will indeed be a day when Christ returns on a white horse, the symbol of victory and judgment. Revelation gives us that picture—a King who comes to set all things right with final authority. But that is not the posture of His first coming. Today, He approaches humanity not with a sword but with an invitation. He comes not to crush but to save. He offers peace before He brings judgment. He extends mercy before He exercises power.

And that is the moment we still live in. The King has come in gentleness. He has offered Himself. He has stretched out His hands in peace. The question is whether we will receive Him as He comes—humble, gracious, and ready to lead us into life.

LORD, we accept your offer of peace. Lead us.