The Triumphal Entry Shows Jesus As Savior And King Series

When you arrived at church this morning, you might have wondered if you had entered the Richwood First Baptist Arboretum. Because we have these lovely palm fronds distributed around the sanctuary. But of course, the reason for all the greenery is that this is Palm Sunday, the first Sunday of Holy Week, the most sacred week of the Christian year. Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, when great crowds of people came out to welcome him into the city, laying palm branches in his path, which represented victory and celebration. As a reminder, here are the remaining days of Holy Week:

• Holy Monday, when Jesus drove the money changers and merchants out of the temple,

• Holy Tuesday, when Jesus delivered the Olivet Discourse, which contains important teachings on the end times,

• Holy Wednesday, also called Spy Wednesday, because it is the day that Judas agreed to betray Christ for 30 pieces of silver,

• Maundy Thursday, when Jesus observed the Last Supper with his disciples and washed their feet, before going out to the Garden of Gethsemane, where he was arrested. This day is called “Maundy”, from the Latin word for “commandment”, mandatum, because of Jesus’ words to his disciples, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another”. Think “mandate” Thursday.

• Good Friday, the day of Christ’s trial before Pontius Pilate and of his crucifixion and death,

• Holy Saturday, the day that Jesus’ body lay in the tomb, and

• Easter Sunday, the day of Christ’s resurrection

I went through that sequence in some detail, because the Bible treats this week as being of supreme importance. In fact, nearly half of the entire gospel of John covers just these seven days. This is the climax of Jesus’ life and ministry. And so I think it is appropriate that we be familiar with the main events of that week.

But this morning, we observe the first day of Holy Week, Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem. And although the narratives of that day in the Bible are relatively short, this is an event that is full of significance for us as followers of Christ. Not only historically, but also spiritually. Because it reveals several important things about who Christ is. I’m going to cover just two of them this morning. Let’s begin by reading the account in the gospel of Mark, chapter 11, verses 1-10:

1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

“Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

The first thing I would like you to note is that Jesus is not a passive participant in these events. When the crowd gathers, and they lay down their cloaks and branches in the road for him to pass over; when they cry out in joy, “Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!”, it is not something that just happens spontaneously. It is something that Jesus not only welcomed, but actively encouraged. For example, Matthew’s account says that when he chose to ride on the colt of a donkey, this was an explicit reference to prophecy, Zechariah 9:9:

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 “Say to Daughter Zion,

‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” (Matthew 21:4-5)

This is a prophecy which Jesus is now intentionally fulfilling. And by doing this, Jesus is identifying himself as the king who was foretold in the Old Testament. And so he is knowingly and purposefully stirring up the crowd. He wants them to rejoice. He wants them to hail him as king. He wants them to exalt him, to glorify him. This offended the Pharisees, by the way. Luke tells us that they objected to all of the adulation that Jesus was receiving, and they wanted him to rebuke his disciples for praising him so extravagantly. But Jesus replied that if they were to keep quiet, then the very stones would cry out. Because not just the people, but all of Creation, was rejoicing (Romans 8:19-22).