HOW SHOULD A KING COME?: THE BACK STORY (by author Jane Van Antwerp)

How Should a King Come? was originally written as a children's sermon, delivered on March 23, 1986, at Menlo  Church. The adult preacher was Scott Farmer. Back in those days, there were no big screens in the 1,100 seat sanctuary, so I taped together drawing paper to make a large book everyone could see. I invited the kids sit on the chancel steps at the 8:00 worship service.  

Wanting a fresh way to tell the story of Jesus coming into Jerusalem, I approached it thinking of all the advance work that governments have to do before their country's head of state arrives at a place. The original title was "Protocol," and I opened a handmade book to a "chapter" titled, "How Should a King Come?" When we were working on the book version, I wanted to stay with the title "Protocol," but was talked out of it by my team of editors and advisors. Very good advice.  

To make it a book, the original message had to be shortened. I cut out the "celebrity king" wearing sunglasses and riding in a Porsche in a parade. I still found a way to add a tuba player in the summary page of all the ways a king could come. I shortened the protocol section of the book to be able to extend the story through Easter week and include Good Friday and the Resurrection. 

The power of the book for me is the contrast between all pomp and ego in royal protocol and how Jesus, at perhaps the peak of His popularity, came in humbly on a donkey. And as the week unfolds, His humility is portrayed with great love and power.