This blog is based on a message by Pastor Todd Cosenza.
A King Worth Praising, Not Just Receiving
We sing about Jesus, and it is wonderful. We also talk about what Jesus does for us. And that is absolutely true. Jesus will save you. Jesus will redeem you. Jesus will help you. Jesus will heal you. Jesus will free you.
But there is something even more important in the priority of our hearts: Jesus is the King.
Not “a helper” first, not “a comfort” first, not “a problem-solver” first. Jesus is the King of Kings, and He has come to rule in love and to dominate over all evil.
The King’s Entrance: Donkey, Not Warhorse
In Matthew 21, Jesus rides into Jerusalem with intention. Kings often rode into cities to display their power and glory. Usually that meant a warhorse, a magnificent trained animal bred for battle.
But Jesus did not choose a warhorse. He rode a donkey, and in Scripture and symbolism, a donkey points to servanthood.
Pastor Todd emphasizes something beautiful about the donkey as well. Donkeys were built to carry heavy loads. They are shorter, wider, and have a lower center of gravity, so they can bear more weight than the average horse.
At the center of the donkey imagery is this: we cannot carry the burden of sin, guilt, and shame. The call here is direct: if we humble ourselves to admit that we cannot carry the burden of sin, we will be more willing to give it to Jesus, because Jesus is built to carry it.
He is the King who serves.
So as Jesus proclaims His kingship, He is pictured as the King who will carry the burden that we cannot carry.
Scripture: Jesus Comes as Servant King
Matthew 21 tells us what happens as Jesus approaches Jerusalem:
Matthew 21:1-2 “As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethpage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.’”
Matthew 21:3 “If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
Obedience When You Do Not Have Full Details
Imagine being one of those disciples for a moment. It sounds like “stealing” in your mind, because those animals belonged to someone. Jesus asks them to untie and bring them, and if anyone questions them, they are told to say: “The Lord needs them.”
That is where trust enters.
Pastor Todd’s point is that when the King speaks, He always gives enough clarity to obey, even if we do not know the entire backstory. Jesus does not leave obedience unsupported. The King goes before His people.
In other words: if the King gives the assignment, He intends the success.
Application theme: God may be asking you to obey without giving you every detail. But the King has already arranged what you cannot yet see. He has set you up for success.
“See Your King Comes”: Gentle and Riding (Matthew 21:4-6)
Matthew explains that the moment fulfills prophecy:
Matthew 21:4-5 “Say to daughter Zion, ‘See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
Then the disciples obey:
Matthew 21:6 “The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt…”
Pastor Todd highlights a detail Matthew includes that the other gospel accounts may not emphasize the same way: Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey and the colt. Not just one animal, but both.
Not a Lesser Gospel for Kids
This becomes a powerful encouragement. Pastor Todd notes that Jesus is not presenting a “spiritual tier” that is smaller for children. When Jesus rides in, it signals that His power, love, and kingdom reality are not reduced based on age.
In that same moment of kingship, the King is depicted as coming with both adult and foal, donkey and colt.
Takeaway: Jesus’ kingship always includes kids, not as an afterthought, but as part of the way the King comes and reveals himself.
Laying Things Down: Cloaks, Branches, and Freedom
As Jesus enters, people respond like a revival has broken out. They lay down what they have so the King can pass.
Matthew 21:8 “A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.”
Pastor Todd draws attention to the picture: some people had cloaks to lay down. Others cut palm branches. Either way, they chose to make space for the King and to honor Him with tangible surrender.
What It Looks Like to Welcome the King
Pastor Todd connects the crowd’s action to personal surrender. If we truly want to experience the King’s peace, joy, favor, and blessing, we have to be willing to lay things down at His feet.
Sometimes those things are not obviously “bad.” Sometimes they are good things that become elevated above God’s will.
Personal Illustration: When “Good” Became a Burden
Pastor Todd shares a personal story from when he was single and working at a pharmaceutical company prior to vocational ministry. He noticed that other managers in the company drove BMWs on Saturdays when they came in. He reasoned that he could afford one too, and he even picked out a bright red BMW.
Then the Lord spoke and told pastor Todd that he didn’t need another car, even if he could afford it.
Pastor Todd describes trying to make a deal with the Lord: “If I can have this car, I’ll increase my giving.” But the Lord responded with a different heart: “I don’t want money. I want your obedience.”
In the end, he laid the desire down. And within two days, he forgot about it. He realized he didn’t even want the car anymore. What was elevated above the Lord’s will had to be put under his feet, just like the people who placed their cloaks and palm branches under the feet of the donkey and foal.
That is the pattern: when the King is honored, bonds loosen. Freedom comes. Joy increases.
The Result: Shouting, Hosanna, and a Stirred City
When Jesus is truly welcomed as King, the response is not quiet resignation. It is worship with energy.
Matthew 21:9 “The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’”
And the whole city notices that something is happening:
Matthew 21:10 “When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’”
Matthew 21:11 “The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’”
Pastor Todd’s emphasis here is strong: Jesus is not merely a prophet. He is the prophet King, the servant King, and ultimately the King of Kings.
Final Hope: Coming Back Not on a Donkey
Jesus first comes riding on a donkey, gentle and lowly. But Pastor Todd closes with hope for the return of the King.
Jesus will return on a white warhorse, and His authority will be unmistakable.
The King of Kings will not be hidden then. Everything will be made right.
Application Questions (for Personal Prayer and Growth)
- Are you treating Jesus primarily as a helper, or as the King who leads? What would change if you made the Lord’s “Kingship” your priority?
- What burden are you trying to carry on your own? Is it guilt, shame, exhaustion, or a pattern you cannot break?
- Is God asking you to obey something that feels outside your comfort zone? What is the “enough information to obey” part He has already given you?
- What have you elevated above Jesus’ will because it feels good, reasonable, or beneficial?
- In what ways can your worship become more “hosanna-shouting” because you are experiencing freedom?
A Prayer of Declaration
Lord Jesus, we declare Your kingship. King of Kings, Lord of Lords. There is nobody above You. We thank You that You came in gentleness and served humanity by going to the cross, taking sin and depravity upon Yourself. We worship You for who You are, and not just what you do. You are King of kings and Lord of Lords. Amen.
