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John 12:12-19 “Fit for a King”

Here’s a nice activity to do for a few minutes.  Think about what a king (or queen if you prefer) looks like.  Think about whatever hits your mind first, be it the Kaisers of Germany, the royal family of England , or the ageless Chinese dynasties.  Think about where the king or queen lives.  Think about his or her mode of transportation.  Imagine what the ruler’s subjects provide him or her; how do they praise the king?  Close you eyes for few minutes or so and picture what the ideal king looks like.

Now compare what you pictured to what you read in the passage.  Compare and Contrast.

For Jesus, the soon-to-be-proclaimed “king of the Jews,” there was no throne on earth.  There weren’t crown jewels or some mighty army to lead.  There wasn’t constant throng of praise and there certainly wasn’t a wide array of horses to choose from.  Instead, Jesus usually walked around from one destination to another.  This time around, His transport was a young donkey and the people waved palm leaves.  They didn’t give Him anything valuable or spectacular.  They simply waved palm tree leaves.

Jesus here gave a perfect example, an epitome, of what it meant to be a leader.  He magnified servant leadership to a new degree.  A King, riding on a donkey and praised with palm leaves – something almost unthinkable with most earthly kings.  But Jesus knew His throne was in heaven and that His time on earth was to do the work and will of God.

With Christ, all perception of a powerful leader is missing with His Triumphal Entry.  All indication of a rich leader is absent.  All pride and honor seems to be lost on His riding on a donkey.  Yet Christians know better today.

The great Brazilian soccer player Bebeto was under siege in the 1998 World Cup.  After an amazing 1994 World Cup performance (and the championship trophy), 1998 was filled with team disagreements and a fan base that deteriorated.  Instead of being praise a hero as he was in 1994, Bebeto was constantly booed by his fans.  Nonetheless, he held his own and managed to score his fair share of goals in the exciting matches.  In the end, though Brazil lost to host France , Bebeto is quoted to have said “I'm a world champion; I don't have to prove anything to anyone."

Jesus already was a King.  He didn’t have to come to the earth and prove anything to anyone.  But He chose to carry out God’s will.  He chose to come to the earth and die to save us.  Jesus didn’t need to appear like a king, because He was already the King of kings, and Lord of Lords.

So take a moment and think. What is the importance behind an image?  Does a perception equal truth?

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