Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
ZECHARIAH 9:9
What an amazing Old Testament heads-up! An event was predicted that would elicit great joy for God’s people. A king – righteous and victorious, yet lowly… Wait a minute. Lowly. Did you say “lowly”? A lowly king? Riding on a donkey? What was going on here?
In preparing for Jackson Randall’s sermon on this upcoming Palm Sunday, may the words of C. H. Spurgeon stir up an excitement in our own hearts to welcome the Savior with “Hosannas”.
It is reckoned by some that no fewer than three thousand people must have been present on the occasion, some going before some following after, and others standing on either side to see the show. He rides to his capital; the streets of Jerusalem, the royal city, are open to him, like a king, he ascends to his palace.
He was a spiritual king, and therefore he went not to the palace temporal but to the palace spiritual. He rides to the temple, and then, taking possession of it, he begins to teach in it as he had not done before.
He had been sometimes in Solomon’s porch, but he was oftener on the mountain’s side than in the temple; but now, like a king, he takes possession of his palace, and there, sitting down on his prophetic throne, he teaches the people in his royal courts.
Ye princes of the earth, give ear, there is one who claims to be numbered with you. It is Jesus, the Son of David, the King of the Jews.
Room for him, ye emperors, room for him!
Room for the man who was born in a manger!
Room for the man whose disciples were fishermen!
Room for him whose garment was that of a peasant, without seam, woven from the top throughout!
He wears no crown except the crown of thorns, yet he is more royal than you. About his loins he wears no purple, yet he is more imperial far than you. Upon his feet there are no silver sandals bedight with pearls, yet he is more glorious than you.
Room for him: room for him! Hosanna! Hosanna!
Let him be proclaimed again a King! a King! a King! Let him value his place upon his throne, high above the kings of the earth. This is what he then did, he proclaimed himself a King.