This last week we all celebrated Palm Sunday and now we look forward to Easter Sunday. In the Palm Sunday passage while Jesus begins to ride into Jerusalem it states:

“And many spread their cloaks on the road…”

Why were these people laying all their cloaks on the ground so that the donkey could walk over with Jesus? In a quick answer it is a way of submitting and acknowledge Jesus as King. One commentator state, “Cloaks on the road symbolized the crowd’s submission to Jesus as King…”(ESV Study Bible).  I just want to bring this to our minds this week. These people were by the act of laying down their cloaks submitting to Jesus as King and Lord over them.

What does that have to do with us today? I find it easy to read this passage and move on quickly to celebrating Jesus as King. However, we bypass how the crowd reacted and keep ourselves at arms distance with how we should respond to this. Let me explain what I mean.

Too often we like the idea of following Jesus but when it comes to submitting to Him as King we don’t. We hold onto us being King and leader over our life not Jesus. Many times, we think, yes Jesus can forgive my sins but I want to run my life. Here in lies the challenge. Jesus is really King and we are called to follow Him as King. In following him we must be willing to submit to Him as leader and King of our life. Jesus in fact stated:

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me…”

Meaning in following Jesus we are to lay down our desires and ourselves as king and submit to Jesus as King, letting Him lead us. So here is my question for us this week: What is your “cloak” that you hold onto? Meaning, what stops you from submitting to the Kingship of Jesus? Does comfort, money, fear…etc. Whatever it is let us lay those things down before Jesus and submit to Him as King.