Triumphal entry

This is an interesting account. Not because we tell it on Easter but because of what it reflects and represents.

The church is called to triumph in Christ who Gives all and not the World who triumphs in taking all

Jesus, as we see in the Scriptures is taking part in a triumphal entry.

But these are not specific biblical words, or a biblical idea.

A triumphal entry is a Roman idea.

Jesus takes it and uses it to communicate a message.

Growing up fourth of July every year on the parade float. The candy, the accolade, the fanfare. Just like a triumph.

The Roman Triumph

Over Romes reign of about 1000 years there were times when they would capture a nation, or take over new geopolitical interest. And whenever they did that, whenever they overtook someone else, they would celebrate in that town through a visual representation of that triumph.

It would be a parade of sorts

Either the Caesar himself or a high ranking general would ride a massive warhorse through the main gates into the city declaring that He and the kingdom he represents now has in fact overtaken that space.

trailing behind then would be captives, whatever goods and jewels they would have stolen from the other nation, other soldiers and means of war.

The caesar, leading the way, would parade everything he took from the warring territory or country and celebrate the take with the city. They would show everything that had been taken.

In doing so they proclaimed the unfailing triumph of Rome.

Rome show shown metaphorically that it had gotten larger

At the end of the procession, the Caesar would make a sacrifice to one of the local gods.

This was a well known ritual in the Roman Empire. The people in whatever city the procession would have been happening would have known about it, would have prepared for it, would have looked forward to it.

This was in the collective minds of the people, like a fourth of july parade.

When Jesus enters Jerusalem, he is re-enacting this scene.

He is reminding all the people who have lined up about a Roman Triumphal procession.

But He spins the entire event on it’s head to show us what real triumph is like.

jesus is saying that triumph is nothing like what Caesar offers

We all want triumph

Why this event? Why does Jesus reenact this event?

Because this event scratches at one of the soul’s greatest questions.

Does my life have any value?

Really what the triumph was about was celebrating the general or caesar’s work in procuring land and people and treasures from someone else.

It was communicating and showing the value of the person.

The value of the action.

And that question, what value does my life have? Or does my life have value? Is lived out in every human soul

And these are the questions that are attempted to be answered by every human institution.

Triumph is the place we are recognized and seen for who we are or what we’ve done.

And we want that.

And groups of people who want that together, called civic society, want to attempt to answer that.

we want triumph because it answers the question of value

we want triumph because we want to celebrate what is right and just and good

the problem is we have trusted Caesar’s definition of triumph. We need to learn Christs

Our problem is that we have believed that triumph is found in the number of items taken. The more we collect, the more we take, the more triumph.

Do you feel that at all?

The desire to take and have and collect and show in order to be seen and known?

This is what we do as people and what we easily do in our organizations

and as Christian’s in the public square we have to learn that we cannot borrow definitions from Caesar .

Jesus shows us that triumph in the world doesn’t always have the same goals as triumph in God’s kingdom

Matthew 21:6–8 ESV

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

The Roman triumphal procession was intended to be as big as it possibly can get. To show as many people as possible just how much the Roman empire has gotten.

The goal of Jesus triumphal procession is to show how far a king will go to rescue His people with none of the tools of power.

the donkey

Jesus finds the colt of a donkey. So he not only finds the dumbest animal he can, he finds one that has never had human interaction.

That’s what he picks.

It is not power that gets us to triumph.

Jesus is accomplishing better ends for triumph with lesser means.

He not only fulfills a prophecy, He shows us that victory is not found in unbridled strength.

Triumph is not found in what is taken but rather what is given

Matthew 21:5 ESV

“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ”

Caesar always looks to what he takes. Christ always looks to what He gives

Usually triumphal procession is about every part of the land, captives, treasures taken during war.

It is displayed in in these processions.

So the triumph is found in what Caesar has taken. What has been captured in his name through the authority of His power.

But this is a massive difference than what Christ does. Christ doesn’t take. He offers.

In Jesus case triumph is found in what is given. What is offered.

John 10:10–11 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

The triumph of Christ is that He walked on that road toward the cross, to give His life for us.

Jesus is using the event of the triumphal procession to mark His Kingship.

It communicates the reality of the prophecy in Zechariah. Jesus fulfills the prophetic words by understanding His kingship and by doing so on a donkey.

He is also upending the definition of triumph. Because up until this moment, triumph has been a collection of materials that can prove that you have more than the neighbor you took them off.

But Jesus shows us that triumph is really found in the humble king who gave His life for us.

Caesar will always move toward procurement as triumph.

But when procurement is your goal, you can only ever depend on what you’ve done and what you’ve taken.

And you will spend the rest of your life protecting everything you’ve collected

Triumph to Jesus is not what He takes but what He gives.

The organizations of the world, including our political and financial and civic ones, will not have the same end goals or means as the church.

We are taught to see triumph in what we have or build, Jesus shows us the real meaning in what He gives.

The problem with Caesar is he doesn’t take triumph beyond himself. It is always found in what is behind him.

caesar like the kid who goes to chick e cheese

Chuck E Cheese. Spend the whole night getting tickets. Playing skeeball. Playing the luck machines. more skeeball.

And at the end of the night you finally get your own triumphal procession. Walking to the counter in order to get your prize.

But what you get for the work you exerted never matches up.

1000 tickets for a matchbox car?

That is every organization.

Every political machine.

Their triumphal entry is what they can gather and show off beforehand.

The organizations of the world look to what they can take.

But Jesus is showing what life looks like, what triumph looks like, not when you exert power to collect as much as possible.

But when you give all your power to those you love.

Triumph isn’t found behind JEsus on Matt 21. It’s found in front of HIm. It is before Him. He shows us the path toward real triumph.

And it’s found at the cross.

There is a difference, according to John Howard Yoder, between the triumph of the good and the triumph of the immediate.

Caesar is the triumph of the immediate. But that passes

Christ is the triumph of the good.

Christ uses Caesar’s tactic here to show that He is a king but that kingship alone wouldn’t solve the issues of sin.

The triumpant king does more than just rule, He give Himself as a sacrifice.

Philippians 2:8–11 ESV

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

To be a king who ruled through collection would never have forgiven anyone’s sin

for Jesus it is not what is taken but what is given that is most important.

We are shown in Christ our humble king taking the same path as victorious Caesar the temptation to make it about what we collect over what Christ gives.

We have believed the tales of Caesar, that if we just get enough, then we will be triumphant.

Jesus walking Caesar’s path shows us that is not true.

Eventually the paths will diverge. Eventually What Caesar takes and What Jesus gives will not be the same thing.

This is where we as the church have to reflect well and discern wisely.

Both triumphs demand costs

The triumphalism of Caesar demands high costs

and costs are paid through the brokenness of people and worldly systems.

either in sexual exploitation and abuse

in racism

in exploitation

in marginalizing people

The triumph of Christ knows a high cost has been demanded

And the cost has been paid for

our brokeness

our need for love

our need for forgiveness

our lonliness

There is always a cost demanded from somewhere

The world will demand someone else pay it

The church knows Christ has already covered it

So we don’t have to collect or protect our parades of triumph. It’s already in Christ

Our role is to collect and protect for others that which Caesar is demanding from

when Jesus left the earth He said only one organization will adequately represent God on the earth

the church . That’s it

no other organization or political affiliation can adequately or accurately represent God on the earth.

Whose triumph will we follow?

The horse and chariot who has taken from others to make their triumph bigger?

Or the man on the stupid animal who gave everything in order to make us something.

We will be wise to follow Jesus on His donkey to wherever He leads

and not the horse and chariot.

Triumph will come and go in the world.

Rome is a long lasting empire but only reigned for 1000 years.

But it is a permanent position in Christ.