Q: Wasn’t Jesus actually a failure? After all, at the beginning of His last week on earth He hoped people would make Him into their king, but by the end of the week everyone had turned against Him, and they ended up killing Him.
A: Yesterday Christians across the world celebrated what has come to be called “Palm Sunday”—the day on which Jesus rode into Jerusalem and was welcomed by enthusiastic crowds waving palm branches. They shouted, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!” (John 12:13).
But Jesus had no desire to become an earthly king—as He repeatedly made clear. Instead, He came into the world to establish another type of kingdom—a spiritual kingdom, drawing together all who put their faith and trust in Him as their Savior, and committed themselves to follow Him as their Lord. This kingdom—the Kingdom of God—would never end, for it was part of God’s eternal plan for the human race. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).
Was Jesus a failure? His enemies would have said “yes.” By putting Him to death they believed everyone would soon forget about Him. But they were wrong—because on the third day His tomb was empty! By the power of God, death had been defeated and Jesus was alive! And now, 2,000 years later, countless millions follow Him and worship Him every day.
Don’t be like those who rejected Jesus because they failed to see who He really was—the eternal Son of God, sent into the world to save us from our sins and make us part of His Kingdom forever. Instead, by faith turn to Him today, confessing your sins and welcoming Him into your life.
