When the prophet Zechariah predicts the coming of the messianic king he says that he will be “humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the fall of a donkey.“

You know, this riding on a donkey was humbling stuff. How did Jesus ride into Jerusalem in his triumphal entry? That’s right. “Humble and mounted on a donkey.“ “A humble king.”

What is it called when you put two words together that seem to contradict each other? We call that an oxymoron. You know. Like: “Jumbo shrimp.“ It is surprising. In the ancient world, kings and warriors rode horses and stallions. Not donkeys.

But by riding the foal of a donkey Jesus was showing himself to be the peacemaking king predicted in Zechariah 9:10. He would not come as the exalted political king or mighty warrior that the people expected.

Instead he says things like, “Come to me. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Charles Spurgeon pointed out that no false Messiah has ever copied Jesus by taking the low place of a servant. So, let’s remember the words the Apostle Paul writes to the Philippian church when he describes Jesus... “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.“

Yes, that’s humble, isn’t it? Amazing self-sacrificing humility and humiliation.

But what about the King part?

Well, the apostle continues: “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father.

I’d say that satisfies the “King“ part. Would you agree?