Today's song, "You Are my King," by Newsboys is perfect for this post. Click "play" to listen!
I've found that the Bible has a lot to say about Jesus being The King. Zechariah 9:9 is a prophecy, given about 520 years before Christ, and fulfilled when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey just before the Passover. I love the words of this verse, and the undercurrent of excitement you can feel as you read it.
"Rejoice greatly!" reminds me of I Thessalonians 5:16's command to "rejoice always." Well, rejoicing was the furthest thing from my mind on the night of the Big Cry. But imagine being liberated from the tyranny of a dictator, i.e. the chains of sin and defeat, and WELCOMING a triumphant king! You have been freed from the sins of your past, and the bondage of slavery, defeat, and failure. Shout, girl! Your King comes to you.
"See, your King comes to you," is saying, "Look up! Pay attention! SEE!" When your head is bowed down under the weight of your burdens, you can't see that your salvation is on its way. That night, I was so busy boo-hooing that I was missing out on the greatest scene in the world: Jesus coming toward me to take control. I want to be in a place of expectancy to see my king riding in...not looking down at the ground and miss the whole thing.
And I love how the King is coming to ME. To US. Sometimes it feels like I'm chasing after Him, when the reality is that HE is coming my way. The battle has already been won and now I'm welcoming his victorious reign in my life.
"Righteous and having salvation." A righteous king rules with justice, and I can rest under His rule knowing that He will make all things right in the end. I may experience "unfair" things in life, but I can trust that He ultimately holds my destiny in His hands. His salvation has brought me out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light. That's a fancy way of saying He saved me from a really rotten existence into one that's amazing and eternal!
Now, I promise that I did not choose this verse because it features a donkey! But the donkey here is significant, not only because Jesus fulfilled this prophecy literally, but because a king riding on a donkey would be a ludicrous sight! Why, his feet would almost drag on the ground as the lowly beast of burden carried him along! A king on a donkey clearly shows that He comes in peace and gentleness. He is down at the level of the people, where they could touch Him and speak to Him, not up on a high horse or imposing chariot. Jesus took the humblest of creatures to make His triumphant entry. So typical of Him. He tenderly leads, carefully rules, and graciously uses the lowliest for His glory.
What a King.
When the question "have you no King?' rocketed through my heart, I hadn't spent a whole lot of time thinking about the answer beforehand. I'd sung the songs and spoken the words, "you are my King," without my heart fully understanding what it even means to HAVE a King. Now, as I begin to comprehend His greatness, it is a whole lot easier to submit to Him. Why hang on to my own puny lordship, when the King of all kings gently waits for me to step aside and let Him rule?
Today's Small Thing is to print off (or post up) Zechariah 9:9 and put it where you can see it. That's it.
But would you take it one step further and leave a comment about our King? I've made several observations about Jesus as King today. Now, it's YOUR turn. Scripture is full of direct and indirect references to the King. I'd love to hear your thoughts, meditations, or discoveries today! Try doing a search and then share what you find.
LOOK UP and SEE! Your King comes!
POINTS: 40 for posting Zechariah 9:9 somewhere
