Each Monday, CEPAD staff come together to reflect on a Bible passage to start the week. We wanted to start sharing them with you along with a brief reflection. This week’s passage is from Luke 19:29-38.

As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.'”

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it.” They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.

As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

In this passage, we learn that God uses the unexpected to show up in unexpected ways, because even in the unexpected, He is King.

God uses the unexpected to show up in unexpected ways.

When kings show up in new cities, they show up. Riding in on a horse in their best clothing, surrounded by their soldiers with dance and music about their greatness, they make their entrance known. The Jewish people at this time who were awaiting the fulfillment of the prophecies were probably expecting the King to enter Jerusalem a little more like this.

But Christ rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey. He didn’t even have a saddle, but rode on his disciples’ cloaks. A humble entrance by a humble king was not what many were expecting their victory to look like.

Let’s imagine we were there. We’ve read the great prophecies and are expecting Christ to show up in all His glory, but all we see is Jesus on a donkey. “This is great, God, but what’s happening next?” “Where’s the big victory?” “Why aren’t more people here?” “What’s going on?”

However, those questions and doubts don’t take away the power of the cross and the resurrection.

Because even in the unexpected, He is King.

Even riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, Jesus was fulfilling prophecies. He still died on a cross and rose three days later. It’s not exactly what people were expecting or hoping for, but that’s how it happened. And there’s something so incredibly beautiful about Christ doing everything in the most humble and human way possible.

This is a truth we rest our faith on, and many of us probably need to be reminded of it now in this pandemic. Even when things get rough and we are desperate and we have questions that don’t have answers, God is still King.

So what should our response to this passage and these truths be?

We find our answer in the disciples and the people.

1. Lay down your cloak. You may have noticed both the disciples and the people laid down their coats to prepare the way for the Lord. They laid down their own clothing to be dirtied by a donkey for Christ. They gave Him whatever resources they had in that moment for His glory. We should do the same, even if that means He uses them in unexpected ways.
2. Remember and praise. “…the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen…” They took a moment and thought of specific miracles they had seen the Lord do and praised Him for it. We are all living in unexpected times. Whether that be living in quarantine, losing a job, canceling big events, let us remember something specific that God has done for us and say thank you.

As we continue to live in the unexpected, let’s remember we have an unexpected God. We look forward to exploring more Biblical truths in the coming weeks through these devotionals.