By Prem Lee.
Read 1 John 2:1-11
Jesus’ riding into Jerusalem on a donkey symbolized a king coming in peace.
Zech 9:9 speaks of this event as bringing peace to the nation of Israel, so that they could get rid of their battle weapons. However, Israel rejected this kingdom and the king and so the church grew outside of Israel.
How do we see Jesus? As our atoning sacrifice, or as our risen king? Many accept Jesus as their atoning sacrifice and are eternally grateful to Jesus for opening the doors of a relationship with God to them. But Jesus as king is not something they want. What does Jesus as king entail for us?
1 Jn 2:1 begins with the statement that Jesus is our Atonement. Then vs 3-4 John says, that if we know Jesus (are having a relationship with Jesus), we will keep His commands (understand Him as our king).
Then he says, that those who do not do His command, is not one of Jesus’ disciples and does not have salvation. This brings out the contrast between Jesus as our atonement and as our king.
In His ministry, Jesus first came as a Teacher, then as the Messianic miracle worker, then as the atoning sacrifice rejected by men and finally as God and king. We need to accept Him in all these roles and not just as our atoning sacrifice.
The people shouted Hosanna, meaning, ‘save us’ accepting Jesus as the Messiah who would save them. That was their expectation, but Jesus did not save them from the Romans, but their sin and became their atonement.
Now the crowd was challenged - Do I accept a Messiah who delivers from spiritual sin, or do I look for a Messiah who delivers from worldly suffering?
When we accept Jesus as our Messianic King, we submit to His Spiritual role, obey His command to love irrespective of cost. That is the Christian life that leads to true joy, true blessedness and peace.