Praus definitions are: mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness
I watched in awe at the sending off of Her Majesty, the late Queen Elizabeth II, on the day of her funeral. The pomp, ceremony, glory, spectacle, fare, grandeur, pageantry, affectation, splendor, ostentation, ceremonial and cortege are adjectives to describe the spectacle. Whatever the adjective you may want to choose or use, it is one worthy of accord for a gracious monarch who reigned United Kingdom for seventy long years.
There was another monarch whose titles were an inexhaustible a list too; the Prince of Peace, the King of the Universe, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, Almighty God and Giver of Life and many more. Did He receive such honours, accolades, and attentions that were given to the dear Queen Elizabeth II? No! In fact, His entry into this fallen world, if not for the three wise men from the east, was so unspectacular that only humble shepherds were present. His birth site was lowly cattle shed shared with the beast of burdens. However, on the celestial realm, there were flurries of activity. Angelic beings were seen and recorded in Luke 2: 1-14, singularly announced the good news and a host of angelic beings were singing and praising God for the gift of Eternal Life to mankind.
His exit from this sinful world was a bit different from His lowly entrance. It was eventful though, no doubt. A lot of happenings, like the one the whole world had witnessed in United Kingdom recently but with a difference. The events that followed after Jesus was arrested to the actual crucifixion at Golgotha were a far cry from the grand display of English culture and traditions in bidding goodbyes to their monarch. It was a brutal and bloody affair surrounding the meek Monarch as He took the sins of the whole world upon Himself. Silently and meekly, He went to the cross as a perfect Lamb of God, to purchase our redemption. He took upon Himself the burden of the law of sin and death, resulted from the first Adam’s disobedience. There was no 21 guns salute, no parade of gallant men and women in smart uniform, no tolling of the bells, none of the lavishness witnessed by millions across the globe.
Our King, Lord Jesus Christ, does not ride on carriage driven by fine horses; instead, He rode on the back of the donkey on His way to Jerusalem. Zechariah 9:9 recorded the prophetic vision of our Lord Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem prior to His crucifixion. Verse 9 of Zechariah chapter 9 clearly proclaimed, “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; Raise a shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your King is coming to you. He is victorious, triumphant, yet, poor (humble), riding on an ass, on a donkey foaled by a she-ass.” Another record in the book of the gospel of Matthew 21: 5 correlated with the prophecy of Zechariah, it stated “Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.” The Lord of the universe once told a scribe I quote, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head.” unquote, in Matthew 8: 20 Such was the status of our praus King.
Pardon my deviation for a moment. Why is the entry into Jerusalem recorded by the prophets and subsequently by the disciples in the gospels as a triumphant affair? I was baffled with the choice of words used here. Triumphal entry can only be accorded for mighty warriors, generals or kings’ achievements in military expeditions and conquests. These celebrations and festivities are common occurrences in the Middle Ages and early modern period of human history. It was also known as Royal Entry, or even Joyous Entry. Why is the lowly and inconspicuous event of a man on the back of a donkey prophesied by prophets and affirmed by the gospels as triumphal entry? To better understand this mystery and significance, we must delve into the purpose of His coming to earth 33 years ago before His crucifixion. His specific reason and purpose were to die for our sins, the sins of all humanity. Like Adam and Eve, we deserved to die because we all have sins. In Romans 3: 23, we all have sinned, and fall short of the Glory of God. The penalty for our sins is death, eternity in the lake of fire and brimstones with Satan and his cohorts. Not a pleasant place to be! For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believed in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Our Lord Jesus’ time on earth was to fulfill His Father plan of saving humanity and to put an end the works of the nefarious one. That to me is a triumph!
Sound the trumpets and the ram’s horns, there is coming a day soon, now or maybe tomorrow, as no man knows when King Jesus will return to earth. On that day, the scene will be a vast difference from His maiden entrance in Bethlehem and His donkey ride into Jerusalem. He will be mounted on the white horse in full glory, with His millions of saints, dressed in pure white linen to rule the earth in the millennia. On that day, no mortal kings or queens, past, present or future, can compare with the splendor and glory of the eternal and everlasting Kingship of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we thought the grandeur and pageantry of the life and death of earthly monarchies are opulent, we have seen nothing yet when King Jesus revealed His full glory and majesty on His return. It will be beyond spectacular, trust me.
The King is coming! Are you comforted? Are you encouraged? He is no longer the meek King but the mighty fearless Warrior King who had conquered death. He will wage war along with His armies of saints dressed in pure white linen, against the nations who stand alongside with Satan, the beast and their followers.
Attention! Fall in line, soldiers of the cross; your King is coming back soon. We do not want to be caught like the foolish virgins who did not and thought not the master will return at such an hour.