Entering the Kingdom

“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!”

Mark 11:9-10

When Jesus entered Jerusalem for the final time before His Passion, He did so triumphantly and received a king’s welcome. The people welcomed Him and laid down palm branches and their cloaks, rolling out their version of a red carpet for Him. They knew this was someone different, someone special, someone royal.

The people chanted, “Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!” They saw Jesus as the heir to David, the promised One of God, but they misunderstood the role of this king. Perhaps they thought this king from the line of David would free the Jews from Roman Rule, conquering their foes and restoring the Kingdom. But Jesus was not that kind of King for His “kingdom was not of this world.” Throughout His public ministry, Jesus spoke of the “Kingdom of God” or the “Kingdom of heaven” so the people must have placed their hope in Him. But, Jesus also spoke of the prophets and of the Law and how the Son of Man must suffer greatly. He also spoke of how one must forgive, love their enemies, and that one must deny themselves and carry their crosses. If the people listened closely, they would have had some idea that this Kingdom that Jesus preached is not the earthly, temporal kingdom that the people expected to be restored, but one that transcends space and time, the Kingdom that is Jesus Himself.

To receive Jesus into our hearts is to receive the Kingdom. However, the journey to receiving this Kingdom is not always easy as we well know – the challenges of faithful, intentional discipleship. When Jesus preached, “Repent, the Kingdom is at hand,” He is saying, “Repent and believe in me. I have come to set you free, to bring you into the Kingdom of my Father. In me you will have life eternal.”

The same people who cried “Hosanna!” and welcomed Jesus with a kingly welcome into Jerusalem may very well be the same ones who cried, “Crucify him!” a few days later after seeing that instead of seizing the throne, He has become a criminal on trial.

Do we cry out “Hosanna!” today and vow to follow Him to the Cross, knowing that the same Cross He was nailed to is the same Cross through which we are saved?

Lord, Jesus Christ, You are the King of my life!