Jesus didn’t come to start a religion. He came to announce and unleash a kingdom. His public ministry began with these words: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”1
Talk of a kingdom raises expectations. But Jesus’ kingdom is radically different from the kingdoms of our world. Through his words and deeds, Jesus testifies to and embodies this new kingdom. In Jesus’ kingdom, the last are first and the first are last. In Jesus’ kingdom, women and men are equally vital and important. In Jesus’ kingdom, boundaries that separate humanity by ethnicity, gender, age and geography are broken down. In Jesus’ kingdom, even kings are different.
In our world, there is the popular expression “It’s good to be the king.” That’s a reference to the rights and privileges that some wealthy and/or politically powerful individuals exploit for their own benefit. Ask what we would do if we were a monarch and our eyes might light up as though we’ve won the lottery. Thoughts of wealth, travel to exotic places, access to the finest food, large homes and servants to care for our every need may come to us. But this is not the sort of kingship that Jesus lives out.
In our text, Jesus enters Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd following him. This is the final stop on his journey to Jerusalem. As he has already announced to his disciples, Jerusalem, for him, will mean arrest, suffering, death and resurrection.2 But they do not understand.
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