Twin Parades

READ: MATTHEW 21:1-11; PHILIPPIANS 2:1-11

The governor was coming into town. Moriah had been waiting weeks to catch even a glimpse of the man. He was supposed to stay for the festival week and bring his entourage of soldiers and even a jester. Moriah had even heard the governor’s war horse would be the biggest she’d ever seen.

The wide gates were heaved open by two men. At the front entry, an announcer shouted, “You are honored with the presence of the esteemed Governor Pontius Pilate.”

“All hail Caesar!” the crowd echoed back. The first group of soldiers marched in, stoic faces in perfect rows. Soon—I’ll get to see the governor soon, she thought.

Then, from the other side of the city, she heard a commotion. A few people looked over and some even fell away from the parade to wander to the eastern gate. Why would people go over there? she wondered. But as more and more people broke off from the crowd, curiosity got the better of her and she abandoned the parade as well. I’m sure I can get back in time to catch a glimpse of the governor; I just want to see what everyone’s gawking at.

As she approached the street and peeked over the crowd, Moriah got her answer. That’s just some guy on a donkey. A disappointed frown crept over her face. She plucked up the courage to ask a woman next to her. “Excuse me.” She pulled on the woman’s sleeve. “Who is that?”

“That’s Jesus—He’s a prophet and the Son of David. He’s going to save us all and overthrow Rome. He’s bringing a new kingdom. I’ve heard Him talk of it and seen Him do things only a prophet could do!”

Wow, I’d hoped to see a governor, and now I get to see a prophet! Moriah took off her shawl and laid it on the ground. When the prophet passed by, He met her gaze, and something in His eyes made her wonder if He was more than just a prophet. • Naomi Zylstra

• This fictional story imagines Jesus’s humble triumphal entry into Jerusalem, contrasted with the pomp and circumstance of a governor’s traditional entry into a city. Since the days of Solomon, Israel’s kings rode donkeys to their coronations. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey because He is the promised King, and He is riding to His death as a ransom for many. How does the humility of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem reveal who He is and how He saves us?

“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Mark 11:10 (NIV)