Jesus wasn’t the Messiah the Jewish leadership was looking for. Nothing about Him met their vision of the one who was to be their king.
- He was born in a cave with a manger for His bed.
- He grew up in Nazareth, and can anything good come from there.
- He was the son of a carpenter.
- During His earthly ministry, He didn’t have a place to lay His head.
- On the day all Jewish eyes were on Him, He rode into town on a borrowed donkey.
- He was crucified on a cross as a common criminal.
This is hardly the picture of a conquering king. Suffering servant seems to be the most likely description for Jesus. Then you read His words: “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” Luke 24:26
Jesus suffered in His body, as Peter wrote. He suffered death.
The way of suffering was actually His path to victory for you and me. Consider these verses.
- Hebrews 2:14-15 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil– and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
- Romans 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin–
- 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Yes, Jesus was the suffering servant. His love for us marched Him to the cross where He served us to the fullest extent. In His suffering, however, He conquered Satan, sin and death, ending their rule and reign in our lives. This makes Him a conquering king.
The day you believed, your conquering King made His triumphal entry into your heart, where He rules and reigns today.