The people of Israel were given forward notice of the Messiah's arrival however He was not bound by their expectations.

Zechariah 9.1-17

Reference: v. 9b
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (NIV Bible)

Explore: My husband and I have been talking about doing a podcast for this website. As research I have been listening to quite a few radio shows and podcasts to get an understanding of the structure and make-up of a presentation. One thing a good host will do is 'forward sizzle'. This is when they talk about an up-coming segment in the show to keep the listener interested and so they remain tuned in to the presentation.
The prophecies we read in the Old Testament were like 'forward sizzle' for the coming Messiah. It was God preparing the people for what was to come. And yet with a nation so fixated on war and domination it was no surprise that they did not pick up on the new plan of this King taking away the war-horses (v.10) and riding in on a donkey. It was like they were listening to the boxing program and there was 'forward sizzle' to the up-coming opera segment.

Application: God was not bound by the expectations of the people. While they were anticipating the Messiah to be a warrior and leading an army, God had a totally different idea. And it seems that the 'forward sizzle' from the prophets and from John the Baptist had little impact on most, even the Pharisees and Chief Priests were not anticipating such a controversial Messiah.
It's a good reminder for us to be open to all that God has in store for the world. He is not locked in to our expectations or what we think is best but He is in control of all things. And what better hands for us to have in control than the Creator of the Universe and the Lord of love and peace.

Prayer: Lord, you constantly go beyond our expectation. You are the Lord of Love, the Prince of Peace and you desire the best for all of us. Thank you. Amen.