King for a Day or King Forever?
“And they brought the colt to Jesus and put their garments on it; and He sat upon it. And many spread their garments in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. And those who went before, and those who followed after were crying out, ‘Hosanna!” Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Mark 11:7-9
Recently, I read a children’s sermon designed for use on Palm Sunday entitled, “King for a Day” which caught my attention. I remember in Elementary school of those times in which a boy or girl would be treated at as “Student of the Day” so-to-speak. That boy or girl would be given special privileges such as being placed first in line to lead the other kids to the lunchroom as well as running special errands for the teacher throughout the day. I still remember my first-grade teacher Mrs. Justice, who gave me the special privilege of dusting her erasers after school one day. Boy O’ boy, did I ever think this was something special!
The truth is, the Bible says that on Palm Sunday people were lining the streets of Jerusalem to see a king riding into town on a small donkey. Amidst the waving of branches cut from trees and cloaks being laid in the path of the donkey He sat upon, Jesus heard the great crowd shouting, ‘Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!’ (Mark 11:10). Yes, the crowd treated Jesus as their king that day; the only problem was—it didn’t last. He was only their “King for a Day.” Later that same week Jesus was arrested, beaten, tried, and crucified. Many who had cheered Him on Sunday turned against Him, and in just a few days, He would wear a crown of thorns!
But Paul tells us that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11). Why wait? Why not confess that Jesus is Lord today? Jesus wants to be the ruler and Lord of your life. He doesn’t want to be your “King for a Day,” He wants to be your “Forever King!” Father we are sometimes quick to say, “Jesus is Lord,” but slow to show it in our lives. Help us to be faithful followers. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Pastor Louie