A Triumphal Entry
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - Today we celebrate the day we call Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem prior to his crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection. It’s called Palm Sunday because the people of Jerusalem came out to greet Jesus as He entered the city on a donkey fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah (Zechariah9:9) that he prophesied some 450 - 500 years before carrying palm branches, which they either waved or laid out in his path. Palm Sunday marked the start of what is often called Passion Week, the final days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the beginning of the end of Jesus’ work on earth.
PRAYER: -
SCRIPTURE: - Mark 11:1-11 says, “As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 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. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly. They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest! Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve”.
On that first Palm Sunday, the people honored Jesus verbally: “The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!”. “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”. However, Jesus saw no need to rebuke those who told the truth. He replied, Luke 19:40 says, “I tell you . . . if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out” . Sadly, the celebration was short lived. The people looked for a Messiah who would rescue them politically and free them nationally, but Jesus had come to save them spiritually. Understand our primary need is spiritual, it is not political, it is not cultural, it is not economical, but it is spiritual deliverance we need.
The people thought that at last God’s anointed king had come, the teacher and miracle-worker from Nazareth, who would cast off the Roman oppressors of Israel and establish God’s true kingdom, centered not in Rome but in Jerusalem. Sadly, the people that lined the streets and waved or laid palm branches crying Hosanna missed the true reason for Jesus’ presence. They could neither see nor understand the cross. They didn’t realize that Jesus was offering them something better than freedom from the Roman oppression, he was coming to save their souls from an eternal Hells Damnation.
That’s why, as Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, and wept over it and said, in Luke 19:42 “ Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes” .
It is a tragic thing to see the Savior but not recognize Him for who He is. The crowds who were crying out “Hosanna!” on Palm Sunday were crying out “Crucify Him” not even a week later.
In the accounts of Matthew and Luke, the story of Jesus’ cleansing the temple comes happens immediately after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the heels of the story of the triumphal entry. But in Mark 11:11 says, “And he entered Jerusalem and went into the Temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.” After all the shouting and singing, the people surrounding him on all sides, proclaiming to be the promised king of Israel who will re-establish the throne of David. The Messianic secret is now open news. The triumphal entry shows us Jesus’ messianic self-consciousness and who he took himself to be. He identified himself with the Shepherd-King predicted by Zechariah. Jesus rides in through the eastern gate of Jerusalem, into the Temple area and does nothing.
WOW - Bishop talk about an anti-climactic sermon. Jesus doesn’t cleanse the Temple; he doesn’t lead a revolt against the Roman oppressors; he doesn’t even give a soul stirring sermon or thought-provoking speech. He just looks around and leaves! His triumphal entry into the city was not something the Romans were expecting or would have understood, and Jesus’ procession probably just melted into the Passover crowd once they got to Jerusalem.
But what a disappointment for those who had hailed his entry! What kind of a Messiah was this? What sort of a deliverer is this? In the following days, Jesus did cleanse the Temple, but he didn’t raise a finger against the Romans. In fact, he didn’t even raise his voice against them. Instead, he said, in Mark 12.17 “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s”.
We need to understand Jesus is Lord. He is under no obligation to live up to your expectations. So often many of us seem to think that if Christ doesn’t fit our expectations, then we’ll just reject Him, as the crowds in Jerusalem did. But Jesus Christ is Lord, and he doesn’t have to fit our expectations of Him.
There needs to be another Triumphal Entry and that is entry into your heart, entry into every aspect of your life.
Don ‘t be like the people pf Jerusalem that missed the true reason of Jesus’ triumphal entry.
Don’t honor and worship Him with you mouth today and reject because He did do what you thought He should d.
Remember our primary need is spiritual, it is not political, it is not cultural, it is not economical, but it is spiritual deliverance we need.
Jesus said in John 3:3 & 5 “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God - Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”.
John 10:10 says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”
John 14:3 says, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”.
Acts 2:38 says, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”.
Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”.
Philippians 2:10–11 says, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”.
There is coming a day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The worship will be real then.
Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me”.
Revelation 7:9 says “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands”.
Revelation 22:12 says, “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be”
Jesus is coming again but there needs to be a Triumphal entry before that time. If you haven’t accepted the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior then you need to have Him make a triumphal entry in your life.
If you have already accepted Him then let Him make a triumphal entry in every aspect of your life.
Just as the people of Jerusalem were shouting Hosanna Hosanna as Jesus entered into the city but missed the meaning. When that time comes and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord as Philippians 2:10–11.
There will be those who will miss the meaning and miss out on salvation according to Matthew 7:21-24 says, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock”.
CLOSING:- The message of the triumphal entry is often understood as a lesson of contrast and application into one’s own heart. Truly it is the message of a King who came as a lowly servant on a donkey, not dressed in the royal garb of the day but came riding a donkey on the branches of palms and on the clothes of the humble and lowly.
He didn’t come to conquer by force as earthly kings but by love, grace, mercy, and to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sin sick souls by His own death, burial, and resurrection as a sacrifice for His people. He was not trying to conquer nations but hearts, minds, and souls. His desire is to give peace that passeth all understanding, joy unspeakable, and that we might have life everlasting.
Let there be a triumphal entry of Jesus in your life today.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
