A King on a Donkey?

Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion… behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). Five centuries before Palm Sunday, Zechariah previews the strangest coronation parade in history. No warhorse, no army, just humility riding into the capital on a beast of burden. Everyone knew exactly what this meant when Jesus made His entrance.

This is how God’s kingdom consistently subverts our expectations. We keep imagining conquest by force; God keeps showing up in vulnerability. Yet the chapter doesn’t stop at humility. It promises this king will “speak peace to the nations” and his dominion will stretch “to the ends of the earth” (9:10). Gentleness and power aren’t opposites in God’s Kingdom.

Psalm 21 celebrates a king who “rejoices in God’s strength” and receives blessings forever (21:1, 6). It’s a fitting companion to this Gospel preview; showing us that true royalty isn’t found in a show of force, but in dependence on God.

Devotional Prompts:

Why do you think God chose humility, rather than conquest, as the entrance for His King?
How would this kind of posture play in today’s geopolitical conflicts? How might God respond if one side of the prideful standoffs we see today adopted this posture?
Where in your life do you need to trade an expectation of “force” for trust in God’s gentler timing?

Prayer: Humble King Jesus, thank You for entering the world with peace and gentleness. Teach me to recognize and welcome Your quiet, patient reign in places I’d rather see conquest. Amen.