Zev Porat

Sunday, March 20, 2016

THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

One week before Jesus rose from the tomb, he rode into Jerusalem with crowds shouting his praise as the Savior.  Theologians call this the Triumphal Entry. 

"Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass....And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down (palm) branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way....saying, Hosanna to (God's salvation for us is this) the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.... Matthew 21:5-9, KJV.  (Parenthesis mine, Joda Collins)



A few days later many of the same people were demanding his crucifixion.



"Pilate said to them, 'Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?'  They shouted back, 'Crucify Him!'  But Pilate said to them, 'Why, what evil has He done?' But they shouted all the more, 'Crucify Him!'… "   Mark 15:12-14, NIV

On the surface it seems like the Triumphal Entry was not much of a triumph. However, the Cross is the triumph Jesus was expecting.

"And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him...."  Matthew 20:17-19, KJV.

Thank God for the triumph of the Cross of Christ.  Without the Cross, we would have no hope.  The Triumphal Entry is not about an earthly king coming to rule the world but about the Lamb of God going to the slaughter on our behalf. 



This is Palm Sunday.  Rejoice in it if you are covered by the blood of the Lamb of God. The Triumphal Entry was successful.

Author Image
Rev. Joda Collins


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