Lent Day 37 | The Kind of King He Is

Scripture Focus:

John 12:14–15 (ESV)

“Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

The Kind of King He Is

As Jesus enters Jerusalem, the crowds are ready for a king — but not the kind of King He is. They expect power, victory, and immediate change. Instead, Jesus comes riding on a donkey, a symbol not of conquest but of peace. His entrance is intentional. He is revealing not only that He is King, but what kind of King He will be.

This moment holds a quiet tension. The people cry out “Hosanna,” hoping for deliverance on their terms. Yet Jesus is moving toward the cross, not away from it. The salvation He brings will not come through overthrowing circumstances, but through surrendering Himself. His kingdom is not built on force, but on sacrifice.

Zechariah 9:9 foretold this kind of King — one who is “righteous and having salvation… humble and mounted on a donkey.” Humility is not weakness here; it is the very expression of God’s power. Jesus does not come to dominate, but to restore. He does not come to demand, but to give.

Lent brings us face to face with this question: do we want Jesus to meet our expectations, or do we trust Him to be who He truly is? The King who enters Jerusalem is not less than what we hoped for — He is more. But to follow Him, we must release our assumptions and receive Him as He is.

The King has come.

But He will not be who we expect.

Practice

Take a moment to reflect on your expectations of God — especially in areas where you want Him to act in a certain way.

Pray:

“Jesus, help me trust You as You are, not as I expect You to be.”

Reflection Question

Where might I be resisting the way Jesus is working because it looks different than I expected?