The Humble King: Donkey, Tears, and Peace

Jul 12, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: A King on a Donkey’s Colt

The crowd expected a warrior-king, but Jesus chose a colt—untamed, unimpressive, yet fulfilling ancient prophecy. His entry declared a kingdom built on surrender, not swords; salvation, not subjugation. This humble king came not to seize power but to sacrifice it, exchanging dominion over armies for dominion over death itself. His tears over Jerusalem revealed a heart broken by misplaced hopes, yet determined to secure true peace. The donkey’s cloaked back carried the weight of a revolution grace would win. [29:13]

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
(Zechariah 9:9, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you expected Jesus to act like a conquering hero in your life? How might His humility in entering Jerusalem reshape your understanding of His work today?

Day 2: Tears Over a City’s Blindness

Jesus wept not for Himself but for a people chasing peace in political power, control, and self-sufficiency. Jerusalem’s blindness mirrored humanity’s habit of seeking wholeness in achievements, relationships, or circumstances. His tears exposed the futility of these pursuits, pointing to Himself as the only source of shalom—a completeness unshaken by chaos. True peace arrives not when life aligns perfectly, but when Christ’s presence anchors the soul. [31:09]

"And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, 'Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.'"
(Luke 19:41-42, ESV)

Reflection: What “if only” conditions are you placing on your peace? How might Jesus’ tears over Jerusalem soften your heart to receive His shalom today?

Day 3: Peace Found in a Person

Shalom isn’t a checklist but a Person. Jesus rode into Jerusalem to become peace—crushed for enemies, weeping for the lost, rising to reconcile. No self-help strategy or earthly success can mend the fracture sin creates. His tears on the road and blood on the cross purchased a wholeness that outlasts sleepless nights, wayward children, and uncertain diagnoses. Peace wears nail-scarred hands. [32:14]

"For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."
(Colossians 1:19-20, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you striving to manufacture peace through control? How might releasing that burden to Christ deepen your trust in His finished work?

Day 4: A New Song for a Changed Life

The crowd’s “Hosanna!” faded, but discipleship’s song endures. Following Jesus rewrites life’s soundtrack—fear becomes faith, despair becomes hope, isolation becomes community. Like Jack and Bex, ordinary people find their story reshaped by the resurrected King. This new song isn’t a fleeting emotion but a lifelong anthem of grace, sung in school runs, hospital waits, and quiet Tuesday mornings. [39:34]

"Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him."
(Psalm 98:1, ESV)

Reflection: What old “song” of anxiety or self-reliance still plays in your heart? What lyric of grace could Christ write over it today?

Day 5: Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Impact

A carpenter-turned-Messiah used fishermen, tax collectors, and modern families like Jack’s to ignite global change. Jesus’ upside-down kingdom turns small obediences into eternal legacies: packed lunches feed thousands, donkey rides herald salvation, whispered prayers move mountains. Your ordinary moments, surrendered to the King who wept and triumphed, become threads in His redemption tapestry. [36:11]

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father."
(John 14:12, ESV)

Reflection: What “ordinary” act of love or faithfulness feels insignificant to you? How might Jesus use it to echo His kingdom in someone’s life this week?

Sermon Summary

Luke 19 brings a king down the Mount of Olives with disciples shouting, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord,” while the Pharisees want the noise shut down and Jesus says even stones would sing if the disciples went quiet. The procession looks like power, but the donkey tells the truth. Zechariah had already named it. The king comes “humble and mounted on a donkey,” not to seize control but to lay it down. The colt under him is preaching before he says a word.

“Hosanna” is not stadium chant but a plea. “Save us.” That is exactly what Jesus is doing, yet his face is wet when the city comes into view. The tears say Jerusalem has missed “the things that make for peace.” Peace in the Bible is shalom, not trouble finally gone but life put back together. Jerusalem wants peace by winning. Jesus brings peace by being wounded. He does not crush enemies. He is crushed for enemies, and that is how hostile hearts are made whole.

The text turns the question. If shalom is not out there in better circumstances, where is it found? It is found in a person. No superhero, no self-help plan, no perfect home or career can carry the weight. The donkey and the tears point straight to the cross, where the king buys peace with his blood. That is why ordinary people sing a new song with ordinary lives that now run on a different foundation. A dad who starts to pray. A family that asks, “What would Jesus do?” The outside may look the same, yet underneath there is another soundtrack.

History bears witness to the same king. With no army, no money, no office, and dead within a week, Jesus has moved people to build hospitals, start orphanages, end slave trades, reinvent nursing, march for justice, feed neighbors, and welcome the lonely. He still does. The crowd on that road had a choice. Some shouted “crucify” five days later. Others followed him for life. Psalm language fits the moment. “Sing to the Lord a new song.” When Jesus is received as king, fear and grief get met by a deeper music. The call is simple and bold. Give Jesus time. Read Mark. Come and see. Ask real questions. The king on the colt is still changing lives today.

Key Takeaways

1. The king no one expected arrives [28:30] Jesus rides a colt to keep a promise and to reveal his way. Power comes low and gentle, not loud and crushing. The donkey is not decoration. It is a sign that the cross is already in view and that his rule will heal rather than harm. [28:30]
2. “Hosanna” is a rescue-cry [30:09] The crowd is not chanting hype but begging for help. “Save us” is the most honest prayer a sinner can make. Jesus answers it with tears, because salvation will cost him everything and bring true peace to those who least deserve it. [30:09]
3. Shalom is wholeness, not ease [31:09] Biblical peace is not a tidy calendar or a clean bill of health. It is life knit back together in fellowship with God. Circumstances may stay hard, but union with Christ steadies the heart and reorders desires around his love. [31:09]
4. Power laid down brings real peace [29:39] Every other kingdom takes to live. Christ gives to save. By being crushed for enemies, he breaks hostility at its root and opens a new way to be human. That is why forgiven people become healing people in their homes and in their towns. [29:39]
5. The crowd must choose today [40:07] Cheering on Sunday and crucifying on Friday sit frighteningly close together. Neutrality will always drift to noise and convenience. Receiving Jesus as king plants a new song that outlasts fear, fatigue, and even death. [40:07]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[26:04] - From heroes to the true King
[26:27] - Opening Luke 19 on the road in
[27:07] - “Blessed is the King” and the stones
[27:40] - Jesus weeps over missed peace
[28:30] - A king you didn’t expect
[29:13] - Zechariah’s promise on a colt
[29:39] - Power laid down, not seized
[30:09] - What “Hosanna” really means
[31:09] - Shalom defined as wholeness
[32:14] - Peace is a person, not a plan
[32:55] - A family’s story of quiet change
[36:39] - How Jesus reshaped history
[39:34] - A new song for new hearts
[40:07] - The crowd’s choice and its weight
[41:41] - Praying for peace and courage

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Luke 19:28-44 (ESV)
28 When he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” 41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Zechariah 9:9 (ESV)
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Psalm 98:1 (ESV)
Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Observation Questions

In Luke 19:38, the crowd shouts, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” What details in the passage show that Jesus’ kingship was different from earthly expectations of power?
How does Zechariah 9:9 connect to Jesus’ choice of a donkey for His entry into Jerusalem?
Why did Jesus weep over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44), and what does this reveal about His mission?

Interpretation Questions

The sermon describes “Hosanna” as a “rescue-cry” rather than a celebratory chant. How does this understanding reshape the meaning of the crowd’s words in Luke 19:38?
Jesus says, “If these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:40). What does this imply about the inevitability of God’s purposes and the response creation owes Him?
The sermon contrasts Jerusalem’s desire for peace “by winning” with Jesus’ peace “by being wounded.” How does this tension reflect the difference between worldly and biblical definitions of shalom?

Application Questions

The sermon mentions that “shalom is wholeness, not ease” and is found in union with Christ. Where in your life are you tempted to chase peace through control or circumstances instead of relying on Christ’s presence?
Jesus’ tears over Jerusalem show His grief over missed opportunities for peace. Is there a relationship, situation, or habit in your life where you sense God’s grief over your choices? How might you respond?
The sermon shares examples of ordinary people living “a new song” through acts like prayer, serving neighbors, or asking, “What would Jesus do?” What small, practical step could you take this week to align your daily choices with Jesus’ humble, sacrificial love?
The crowd’s praise turned to rejection within days (Luke 19:38 vs. 23:21). How can you cultivate a faith that endures when cultural pressures or personal convenience challenge your loyalty to Christ?
The sermon highlights how Jesus’ followers have historically built hospitals, fought injustice, and welcomed the lonely. What unmet need in your community could you address as an expression of Christ’s peace?

Sermon Clips

51s

#NewSongNewLife

“``When we receive Jesus to be our king, we have a new song that is in our heart. Everything around us gets a new soundtrack. Everything around us begins to look different, begins to change. How we see people, how we see ourselves, how we see the world around us. It sees and we think about how we we we deal with those sleepless nights, how we fear death, maybe how we fear hell. There's a new song underneath all these things when we receive Jesus into our life. The crowd had a choice that day. Five days later, some of those people celebrating were shouting, crucify, and Jesus was put to death, but others followed him for the rest of their life.”

58s

#PeaceInJesus

“But the passage that we see and the drama that we saw is of a donkey and tears. And what we see is that peace isn't something that we're gonna find all the way out there, but in fact, peace is something that we'll find here. We'll find it here in Jesus. We find peace as a person, and that person came riding into Jerusalem to buy peace for every single one of us today. We believe as Christians that we can't rescue ourselves. This peace that we so often strive for, we can't in ourselves. No superhero, no self help book, no perfect family if there even is one, no no successful career will ever do it. But this weeping king that we believe so passionate about Jesus who came into Jerusalem came to set us free.”

51s

#BeyondSelfHelp

“And what we see is that peace isn't something that we're gonna find all the way out there, but in fact, peace is something that we'll find here. We'll find it here in Jesus. We find peace as a person, and that person came riding into Jerusalem to buy peace for every single one of us today. We believe as Christians that we can't rescue ourselves. This peace that we so often strive for, we can't in ourselves. No superhero, no self help book, no perfect family if there even is one, no no successful career will ever do it. But this weeping king that we believe so passionate about Jesus who came into Jerusalem came to set us free.”

56s

#StopChasingPeace

“And in some ways, sometimes we think about this too that that we might, this morning, chase peace in different places too. We might feel that we will have peace when our life is under control or when our kids are sleeping and behaving the way that they should or when work comes down or when diagnosis come back clear, when our teenagers start being sociable again. But the passage that we see and the drama that we saw is of a donkey and tears. And what we see is that peace isn't something that we're gonna find all the way out there, but in fact, peace is something that we'll find here. We'll find it here in Jesus. We find peace as a person, and that person came riding into Jerusalem to buy peace for every single one of us today.”

48s

#HosannaSaveUs

“He came not to conquer his enemies, but he came to be crushed for his enemies. And we see the word, and maybe you've heard the word hosanna before, and it's shouting. Maybe if you remember back from your Sunday school days or heard that times gone by. It's a word we sometimes sing in our songs too, but what it means is this. It means save us. It means save us. Please save us. Sometimes when I think about that story, if we think about it from the Sunday school days, we might think of, like, the crowd kind of chanting it like they're at some sort of football match or something, But that isn't what they were doing. In fact, they were saying, rescue us. Save us, please. Save us. Because that's exactly what Jesus came to do.”

52s

#ServantKing

“And what we see is is Jesus is a different kind of king. We might see of every other kind of king in history at the time would have would have come in a fearsome horse riding into the capital city, domineering with soldiers, swords, coming to take power. Yet Jesus came on a donkey, and the reason for that is he came not to take power, but he came to lay his power down. He came to be killed. He came not to conquer his enemies, but he came to be crushed for his enemies. And we see the word, and maybe you've heard the word hosanna before, and it's shouting. Maybe if you remember back from your Sunday school days or heard that times gone by. It's a word we sometimes sing in our songs too, but what it means is this. It means save us.”

39s

#InnerPeaceSong

“When we receive Jesus to be our king, we have a new song that is in our heart. Everything around us gets a new soundtrack. Everything around us begins to look different, begins to change. How we see people, how we see ourselves, how we see the world around us. It sees and we think about how we we we deal with those sleepless nights, how we fear death, maybe how we fear hell. There's a new song underneath all these things when we receive Jesus into our life.”

51s

#FaithChangedHistory

“I think about this that that because of him, like, the first hospitals were built, Orphanages were founded. That William Wilberforce in the British Parliament, he fought against the slave trade because he was convinced that Jesus had died and every human being had dignity. Of Florence Nightingale, who went into a war zone and reinvented nursing. I think about the likes of Martin Luther King who marched for civil rights because of Jesus. I think about in towns, cities all across our nation of food banks, of people who are feeling lost and desolate brought into community, friendship, fellowship again. Why does that happen? Well, it's because of this person, Jesus, who went into Jerusalem to die for sin.”

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The Humble King: Donkey, Tears, and Peace

Devotional

Day 1: A King on a Donkey’s Colt

Day 2: Tears Over a City’s Blindness

Day 3: Peace Found in a Person

Day 4: A New Song for a Changed Life

Day 5: Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Impact

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

The Humble King: Donkey, Tears, and Peace

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