Q:
Why didn't Jesus go ahead and let people make Him a king toward the end of His life, which many wanted to do? It seems to me that He could have done a lot of good if He'd gone ahead and let it happen.
A:
Tomorrow, millions of Christians all over the world will celebrate what we have come to call “Palm Sunday,” commemorating the day on which Jesus entered Jerusalem and was greeted by crowds waving palm branches and shouting their praises. They cried out, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” (John 12:13).
Undoubtedly, some of them were convinced that Jesus had come to lead a revolt against Rome and become their king. But Jesus refused because He knew this was not God’s plan for Him. If He became an earthly king, He knew, His power would be limited and He would never touch the whole world. Political power has its place, but it can never meet our deepest moral and spiritual needs.
Instead, Jesus came in order to become a king of a different type: a king who would rule in our hearts. This, after all, is what we really need because our greatest problem is within our hearts and minds. And this becomes real when we turn to Christ in repentance and faith, and commit our lives to Him. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “The kingdom of God is in your midst” (Luke 17:21).
Is Jesus Christ the king of your life? Don’t reject Him, as many did only days after Palm Sunday. Instead by faith turn to Christ and give your life to Him. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).