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See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

I once saw a king. I was at the hospital visiting my grandfather when suddenly a massive gold helicopter landed on the hospital’s helipad. I found out later that the King of Jordan had arrived for his cancer treatments.

But I didn’t meet the king. I only saw him from a distance, surrounded by many intimidating-looking bodyguards. If I had tried to approach, access would have been denied.

How different our King is! “See, your king comes to you,” says the prophet. Jesus would have just cause in keeping his distance from sinful humanity. There was nothing we could offer him that he already did not possess. The world is his already. He created and rules it. In fact, all that we could bring is what he does not desire—disobedience, selfishness, lovelessness—all the many ways that we fall short of what our King would rightly desire and deserve.

And yet look at our King! Jesus did not surround himself with a dozen bodyguards to protect him from the masses. Jesus didn’t keep sinful, fallen humanity at a distance. He came right into the midst of us. He put his hands on the sick and the broken. He put eyes on the sinners and outcasts. He offered his heart to all who were crushed by their guilt.

And then he did something about it. He came with his righteousness. It’s who he is and what he does. Everything is “right” about him. And he came bearing gifts—bringing salvation. The righteousness that you and I lack and could never obtain, he freely gives to us through faith in him.

And he still comes to us. Through the Word of God, Jesus still speaks, still loves, still guides us. He continues to come to us—drawing us ever closer to him in faith.

This is the greatness of our King—he desires to seek out sinners. And more than that, he came to save us. Praise God for the King who came in love.

Dear Jesus, thank you for setting aside your glory to save me. Keep me close to you through your powerful Word. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.