The Unexpected King

He’s not the king we expected.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the crowds were full of expectation. They waved palm branches in adoration and shouted, “Hosanna!", welcoming what they thought was a political Savior, a king who would overthrow Roman oppression and restore Israel's power. But Jesus had something far greater in mind.

“See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey.” -Zechariah 9:9

They expected a throne.
He carried a cross.

They looked for horses.
He rode in on a donkey.

They anticipated military victory.
He brought eternal salvation.



God's plan often doesn’t align with our human understanding or expectations. Jesus wasn’t crowned with gold and jewels but with thorns. His path to glory wasn’t through conquest but through sacrifice. He didn’t come to take lives but to lay down His own.

And in that upside-down Kingdom, we find our King. One who understands suffering, who willingly entered into our pain and who conquered death, not by force but by love.

2,000 years later, we still wrestle with our own expectations of God. We wrestle with God inside our personal circumstances–the tension between trusting what God has promised and the reality of what things currently appear to be.

Jesus shows up in ways we don’t anticipate but desperately need.

We pray for quick solutions, and He offers deep transformation.
We want comfort, and He gives us character.
We ask for escape, and He gives us endurance.
We crave microwave-minute blessings, and He’s after eternal purpose.

As followers of Jesus, this isn’t just a holiday we celebrate once a year; it’s the foundation we build our lives upon.

Even when it seems like all is lost, God is still working.
Even when it seems like the end of the story, God is still able.
Even when the tomb is sealed, Sunday is coming.

When your circumstances don’t look like you expected, when God’s answers seem delayed or different than you hoped, remember this: Jesus didn’t meet the world’s expectations in any way, shape or form, but He far exceeded its need. And He still does.

Choose to trust the King who knows better than we do.

He’s not the king we expected.
But He’s exactly the King we need.

Happy Easter, indeed 💙 

- Carly Lynn // @car1ylynn