2023-04-02 Our Gentle King

• Matthew 21 vv 1-11 - Palm Sunday
• We know what Palm Sunday is, but are less familiar with what it means.

1. Jesus is at the end of a long walking trip
2. Jerusalem had 50k residents but was packed far above capacity at Passover
3. To this point Jesus has been working under-the-radar, mostly.

Zechariah 9 v9, Zechariah 14 v4 - Jesus has been asking for a donkey. The disciples may be connecting the dots with this passage. other messiah figures had done this during the Roman occupation before Jesus, but Jesus was unique - Matthew 9 v3.

• Jesus didn't hush the crowd.
• Pilate had made a (much more) triumphant entry the same week. Jesus' entry is deliberately subversive:
  • Nonviolent 📘 Christian Nonviolence
  • Public performance meant to get attention, challenge values and norms.
  • A different, gentle way to draw attention.
• Message: The Kingdom of God is here. Jesus shows what the Kingdom is like:
  • Strength in self-control
  • Gentle in actions and words
  • Gentleness is an expression of God's love for the world.