BY BEATRICE S. NEALL

WO THOUSAND YEARS AGO THE LORD God came to His people, just as Isaiah had predicted, following the route of the exodus on the highway to Mount Zion. On the way He led His flocks like a shepherd, carrying the lambs in His bosom and gently leading those with young (Isa. 40:9-11). He opened the eyes of the blind, unstopped the ears of the deaf, and healed the lame (Isa. 35:5, 6). He entered the domain of the "strong man" and released prisoners held by him (Isa. 49:24, 25). Waters flowed, grass sprang up, flowers bloomed (Isa. 35:1, 6, 7). Everywhere He went there was joy and gladness (verse 10).

And now His destination is in sight: Jerusalem. This is the time He should have taken the throne to reign as king, as the angel Gabriel had announced to the virgin Mary (Luke 1:32, 33).¹ His triumphal entry was described by the prophet Zechariah: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. . . . He shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth" (Zech. 9:9, 10, KJV).*

At last Messiah has come--O glorious day, long hoped for by captive Israel! The disciples found the colt that Zechariah had described. Jesus sat on its back. As He rode into the city, the people spread their cloaks on the road. The roar of the crowds was deafening: "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord!" (Matt. 21:9; Luke 19:38, KJV). The people were ready to seat Him on David's throne and crown Him king.²

Next the Lord of hosts came suddenly to His temple (Mal. 3:1), taking command of it and cleansing it, as Hezekiah and Josiah had done before Him. By ruling over the temple He asserted His claim to kingship. Large numbers of blind, lame, and infirm came to Him to be healed while the children cried out, "Hosanna to the Son of David" (Matt. 21:15).

But the guardians of the Temple gave Jesus and His followers a cold reception. Crown Him king? Yes, they'd crown Him king. As a matter of fact, they were already formulating plans for a special "coronation"!

The evening before this "coronation" was to take place Jesus led His disciples in the celebration of Passover, a memorial to God's mighty deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. Jesus was about to effect an even greater deliverance. In the wee hours of that night, priests and officers of the Temple guard came to His retreat to escort the King to the unique "coronation" they had prepared for Him (Luke 22:52). Sometime during the night He is led to Herod, who initiates the "coronation" ceremony by clothing Jesus with a gorgeous robe (Luke 23:11).

Then it was back to Governor Pilate's palace. Here He is stripped of His garments and flogged (Matt. 27:26).

Next came a military "coronation"--the soldiers draped a kingly robe over His bleeding back, wove a crown of thorns and pressed it into His head, and placed a scepter in His hands. The rubies of His crown were sparkling drops of blood. His scepter was a reed. Bowing deeply, they saluted Him: "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they fell on their knees and worshipped Him (Mark 15:16-19).

The celebrations climaxed with the procession to the place of "enthronement." Surrounded by four bodyguards, Jesus led the way of the immense cavalcade as it passed through the streets of Jerusalem. In its train were military, clergy, disciples, and a vast crowd of spectators. The heavy instrument of His "exaltation" was placed on His back. This time Jesus failed the endurance test and slumped to the ground. A delegate from Africa was given the honor of bearing it (Luke 23:26, 27).

The "enthronement" site was a natural amphitheater--a hill overlooking a valley with a highway running through, where the multitudes could watch. Here Jesus was disrobed, then lifted up before the vast host. The places of "honor" on His right and left were not given to James and John as they had requested, but to two criminals. The Roman governor himself prepared the plaque over Jesus' head: "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews" (John 19:19, 20). A guard offered a toast to Him--a special drink of wine vinegar. The chief priests and scribes mockingly proclaimed Him "King of Israel" and "Son of God" (Matt. 27:42, 43).

In the midst of these royal "honors," the King dropped His head to His breast and died!

This was humanity's coronation of its King.

But this "coronation" turned out to be something vastly different from what its perpetrators imagined. The death of the King was a victory of incalculable magnitude.

Salvation
Jesus came to Jerusalem to bring salvation to the world. He told Zion to celebrate because He had come to set it free from bondage: "Put on your garments of splendor. . . . Shake off your dust. . . . Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion. . . . 'You were sold for nothing and without money you will be redeemed'" (Isa. 52:1-3).

Jesus turned His "coronation" into a magnificent event, bringing salvation to all the ends of the earth. It was the best news the world had ever heard. It needed to be proclaimed from the mountaintops: "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, . . . who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" (verses 7, 8).

The great event--the "coronation" of Jesus as Savior-King--did not look like an occasion of rejoicing. It appeared more like a terrible fiasco. It certainly was a travesty of justice, a gross insult to the Lord of heaven. It took a while before the "beautiful feet" of the gospel heralds traversed the mountains to proclaim the good news, as recorded in the book of Acts.

Isaiah foresaw the paradox between the glory and the shame: "See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted." Then, in an astonishing reversal, he continues, "Many . . . were appalled at him--his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness" (verse 12). Jesus' "coronation" was so shocking that kings would shut their mouths because of Him (verse 15), and few would believe the message (Isa. 53:1).

Who is the one who redeems his people? Isaiah calls him "the arm of the Lord": "to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" (verse 1; compare 52:10). Then he continues: "He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground" (verse 2). So, the arm of the Lord is a person--a divine person! He is God's "right arm!" He is also human: He grows up out of the earth like a root out of dry ground.

What did the prophet mean by the words "without money you will be redeemed" (Isa. 52:3)? Now he explains: "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:5, 6, KJV). At His "coronation" Jesus took upon Himself the punishment, the iniquity, the transgression of His people. Our peace, our healing, came at a tremendous price to Him. He paid the ransom price to redeem us, not with money but with His life--the life of God!

But what tremendous results come from His sacrifice! By bearing our iniquities He justifies us (verse 11). By the travail of His soul He brings forth many offspring (verses 10, 11). As a mighty warrior He rescues the spoil from the enemy (verse 12). This is why Zion can rejoice, "Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. . . . And all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God" (Isa. 52:9, 10).

Hour of Glory
The lifting up of Jesus in the midst of rejection, abuse, and torture at the hands of the people He came to save was a magnificent event. As Isaiah had said, He was raised and lifted up and highly exalted at the same time that He was disfigured beyond human likeness (verses 13, 14). Jesus spoke about the wonderful results of His being lifted up: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 3:14, 15; 12:32, KJV).

Jesus looked upon His crucifixion as His hour of glory. Several days beforehand He declared: "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified" (John 12:23). Just hours before His arrest He prayed: "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son may glorify thee" (John 17:1, KJV). That prayer was answered. Jesus, lifted up on the cross, stripped of all human dignity, battered and bruised, dripping with blood, was altogether glorious. Against the dark night of human hatred His divine love shone like a brilliant star. Jesus' dying on the cross for the sins of humanity has broken and transformed hearts, and provided inspiration for an eternity of wonder and admiration.

What was the glory of the cross? It was Jesus' forgiveness of a world of rebels who crucified Him: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34, KJV). It was Jesus' delight in saving the vilest criminal: "You will be with me in Paradise" (verse 43). It was the heart of God torn open, with blood and water gushing out--blood to wash away sin, water to give life to a dying world. It was Jesus' invincible love, love that breaks the heart of His enemies and draws all men unto Himself.

Heaven Does It Right
Humanity botched up its treatment of Jesus. But when He returned to heaven, the heavenly hosts made up for it by putting on a coronation to outdo all coronations. As He enters the pearly gates, choruses of angels sing their welcome (Ps. 24:7-10). Jesus, the Lamb that was slain, takes His place on the throne, surrounded by His heavenly "bodyguard," who fall down and exclaim: "You are worthy . . . because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation" (Rev. 5:9). Beyond the inner circle ten thousand times ten thousand of angels stretch their vocabulary to find words to praise Him: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (verse 12).

Then the great celebration reaches out in time and space to include the whole universe! Every creature in heaven (saints and angels) and on earth (those who rejected Jesus) and under the earth (satanic hosts)--all take part in Jesus' final coronation, singing, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" (verse 13).

The glory streaming from Calvary forever illuminates the One who was so marred that He is beautiful beyond description.

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* Unless otherwise noted, Bible texts are from the New International Version.

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¹ The Psalms and prophets picture a Davidic Messiah who was to reign on David's throne as well as a Servant Messiah who was to die. What might have happened if Israel had accepted its Messiah? Jesus could have laid down His life without being crucified (John 10:18). Afterward He would have reigned from Jerusalem, which would have become a missionary center of the world. For more on this scenario, see "The Role of Israel in Old Testament Prophecy," The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, pp. 29, 30.
² See "Why Jesus Didn't Bring in the Messianic Age of Peace" on my Web site: outreachtojudaism.net.

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Beatrice S. Neall is a retired college Bible teacher, a former missionary to Southeast Asia, and the author of several books.