Thoughts on Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry (part 2)

Back in 2016, Pastor Bill Oudemolen preached the best Palm Sunday sermon I’ve ever heard in my life.  One highlight is when he explained the significance of the palm branches (a detail that only John records in the Gospels; John 12:13).  He said, “The Jews had a hero named Judas or Judah Maccabeus.  He was a zealot, who led a revolt against the Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanies [a tyrannical madman who murdered many Jews].  What they did to honor Maccabeus is they minted coins, and the symbol on the coin of opposition to oppression was a palm branch stamped on the coin.”

The great irony of Palm Sunday is that nobody understood Jesus’ mission.  They were expecting Jesus to throw off the oppressors like Maccabeus, but Jesus didn’t come for that purpose.  In fact, Luke tells us that when Jesus was entering the city of Jerusalem on that day, He was actually crying (Luke 19:41).  He knew that the people didn’t grasp what He came to do, even His own disciples (John 12:16).  He had repeatedly told them, but they missed it.  In Luke 18, He stated, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.  For He will be delivered to the Gentiles…they will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again” (verses 31-33).  But astonishingly, the next verse reads, “But they understood none of these things.”

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Jesus’ mode of transportation that day.  I came across a fascinating article where the author delves deeply into this topic.  “Jesus triumphal entry into to Jerusalem was not just an afterthought, using whatever animal was available.  This was a well-considered part of God’s plan for a specific purpose.  Although the use of the donkey was widespread in those times, Jesus’ riding on the donkey did not show Him to be a poor or common man, but a King…So Jesus, riding on a donkey, fulfills the characterization shown in Zechariah 9:9, that the King would be “lowly”… A man riding on a donkey is not looking for war, and in Jesus’ case, He came instead to save, carried on perhaps the lowliest of animals” (Source: https://www.bibletools.org/Riding-Donkey-as-Sign-Royalty.htm).

Another helpful Got questions.org article puts it this way: “The story of the triumphal entry is one of contrasts, and those contrasts contain applications to believers.  It is the story of the King who came as a lowly servant on a donkey, not a prancing steed, not in royal robes, but on the clothes of the poor and humble.  Jesus Christ comes not to conquer by force as earthly kings but by love, grace, mercy, and His own sacrifice for His people.  His is not a kingdom of armies and splendor but of lowliness and servanthood.  He conquers not nations but hearts and minds.  His message is one of peace with God, not of temporal peace.  If Jesus has made a triumphal entry into our hearts, He reigns there in peace and love.  As His followers, we exhibit those same qualities, and the world sees the true King living and reigning in triumph in us” (https://www.gotquestions.org/triumphal-entry.html).

What a statement!  "If Jesus has made a triumphal entry into our hearts, He reigns there in peace and love."  It makes me wonder if Jesus has made a triumphal entry into your heart.  Or, maybe like the crowd that day, you’ve somehow misunderstood Jesus’ mission.  I’ve heard Pastor Gino Geraci declare, “If you are wrong about Jesus, it doesn’t really matter what you are right about.”  From day one, Jesus had a mission to spill His blood on a cross, out of pure, unconditional love for you.  He did this because, as the sinless God in human flesh, only He could pay the penalty for all your sin and mine.  No matter what you’ve done, or where you’ve been, the unique God-man, Jesus Christ says, “I love you.  I forgive you.  I want to have a relationship with you.”  Through simple faith and trust in Him, you can have everlasting life.  If you haven't done that, I pray that you would do it today.

Kevin