The (Tragic) Triumphant Entry

Introduction

Opening :

Beginning of Passion/Holy Week

A time to “slow down” and reflect on the person and work of Jesus Christ

Remember the World Shaking event (Cross and Resurrection) in the midst of our current world shaking!

FCF:

Our Quickness to glance over the importance of Jesus’ death and resurrection

But, as our world shakes, much is being revealed— including various things we have placed our trust, our life, our hopes in— the things we believe will “save us” or “protect us”

BI:

The willingness of Jesus to go forward to Jerusalem to die on the cross, must cause us to rest in His bountiful love for us!

M1: Jesus, The Humble King

1. Jesus, the Divine Son Of God (Power and Knowledge)

Now, we see Jesus with his followers make their way towards Jerusalem. Before doing so, we find a reference to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives.

In fact, many would have heard the reports of Jesus’ powerful signs that He has performed.

Moreso, recently in Bethany, they would have continued to marvel at the resurrection of Lazarus about a week ago.

In accord with Scripture, the people would be anticipating the coming Messiah, the coming Christ, the coming anointed one that God would send to establish His kingdom!

In other words, the story here is to exemplify Jesus, truly the Son of God, truly Divine. Full of Power!

To drive this point further, we find Jesus send out 2 of His disciples—but the way by which He sends them is quite interesting and telling. He tells the Disciples not merely what to get, but the “how and where!” This knowledge, His power and signs, all of this is to heighten our hearts in majesty and wonder of Jesus who himself is God in the Flesh!

2. A Colt?!

As the disciples hear and follow Jesus’ words, all unfolds as Jesus has spoken. But, we must ask why does Jesus ask for this colt? Why does Jesus even ask for an animal? You see, Bethany is a short distance from Jerusalem about 2 miles! And Jesus has walked into Jerusalem before—so why is he now seeking an animal—yet alone a Colt—to ride on?

Jesus Christ, the one all powerful and sovereign, he is coming into Jerusalem as King! Jesus is not asking for an animal because his legs are tired, nor because He is famished—but HE is coming as the True King! He is coming in as the King prophesied all the way from Gen 49:10-11:

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. 11 Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine

But wait, Christ Jesus, the eternal King above all Kings, is not coming on a majestic Horse but rather of colt, a donkey.

Not only was this prophesied in Gen. 49:11 but also Zech. 9:9

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

See this King, by whom all was made in and through and for Him! GLORY!

Yet, He is not coming in strength and pride as one might expect—but in weakness and humility! Why should Jesus come in weakness and humility, if He is the rightful King?

And this is what we must beware of, before this story opens up to the triumphant sounds of Jesus as King, we must see its tragedy.

The Supreme King, in power and glory, who through whom all was created is the one who comes humbly into His broken and marred creation, not at some red carpet gathering, but on the cloaks and palm branches of those who are poor and lowly! This whole picture ought to have us scream is this enough? Here we see Paul writes of the supreme glory of Christ Jesus in Col. 1:15-19:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

EX: Imagine a President/Official rolling into town, Now see the entrance of Jesus!

3. Tragic People, Triumphant Christ!

Now Remember that during this time, God’s people are under the oppression of the Strong Romans.

Not only this, the Gospel of Mark, though written for all, the immediate audience were most likely Christians in Rome—Here the majestic King of God’s people doesn’t come in the form of a majestic one but one humble and lowly, on a donkey!

EX: Imagine someone like a Julius Caeser riding into town on this lowly colt!

Yet, it was this very animal that was prophesied in Zech 9:9 of the coming King who would ultimately deliver His people. That He wouldn’t be a king like the nations or prestigious to the eye--- but lowly and humble.

A King who wouldn’t merely be one who came into town for the likes of his own glory but for the ransom of His people who He dearly loves.

Not a King who rides into town on the backs on others, but the King who would carry the weight of His people’s sins upon His own back even to the point of death on a cross.

This King above all Kings, Glorious in splendor and worthy of praise —Is he who willingly has left His glory and stooped low, to enter into our mess and sin, who himself experienced the pain and misery of a world stained by our sin

He is the Mighty King, All powerful, All-Knowing, Perfect Son of God who would ultimately give His perfect, righteous life for the sake of us, sinners, broken, messed up, unrighteous, that we could be clothed in the King’s righteousness— Making peace between us and God!

4. Transition

Before we can understand the Triumph of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, we must be able to see the tragicness of it. The Lord of Heaven and Earth, Perfect Creator in Power, knowledge, wisdom and faithfulness— has willingly subjected himself in such a way for the sake of HIs people who we dearly loves.

M2: Jesus, The King We Need (8-11)

Imagine The Scene!

As Jesus comes riding on the Colt as the Humble King, we see the people gathered lay their garments on the ground and palm branches with a resounding chorus! You can just imagine the great scene!

Once again, we must see tragedy of the scene before we can deeply appreciate the triumphant entry of King Jesus. The tragedy is not merely in the King of Kings coming lowly and humbly, but for the very reason why HE willingly has come to do the Father’s Will—to rescue and deliver His people as Zech. 9:9 prophesies to God’s Exiled People!

2. Hosanna!

Yet, hear the sound of the crowd! “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!” (V.9-10)

This sounds quite glorious and I will say it is. What is tragic is not the truth of these words, but the reality of the people’s hearts

Now there is much to unpack here in this shout!

The crowd will be especially keen in their senses of deliverance. This is the week of Passover, which is the feast whereby God’s people are to remember the HUGE deliverance of their people from the oppression and slavery of Egypt and God to form them as His people!

This is the One we have been waiting for! This is the King, the Savior, the Messiah that God has promised to Deliver and Save us! He is the One who will make all things right!

In this they recite from Psalm 118, a Passover Psalm that reflects on the reality of this sort of Kingly deliverance!

In fact, Hosanna in the Greek is just a transliteration of the Hebrew meaning, “Save Us, Please!” It is not merely a plea for mercy but can also in this case be used as royal language (someone who can save!)

Ultimately, the great tragedy is seen here—God’s people are in need of deliverance but far more than they could imagine. It wasn’t merely a political deliverance like they so desired.

How often have we attributed Jesus to be the Savior we want to fit into our agendas rather than seeing the true deliverance we need?

Do we somehow use Jesus as the “key” to get what we desire for ourselves?

And if we are able to fast forward--- the humble King Jesus still comes in riding on the praises of this crowd knowing that at the end of the week He will go to His death— He will die for His people, to save and deliver His people.

EX: Today just look at the frailty of our lives, how we will DO whatever is necessary to preserve our lives. Won’t you turn your lives to Jesus Christ who has come to lay His life down, so that you might find it in Him?

These shouts of praises will turn into “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” and yet though the tragic-ness of the people’s hearts in sin and ours having joined that chorus in our own lives:

we find the triumphant light shine as our eyes in this story are not to rest on the colt nor the disciples nor the crowds shouting but on King Jesus

He has come to deliver and save His people, to bring them out of the bondage of sin and death—that he would be the King to pay the price for His people. He would be the One to satisfy God’s Perfect and Just Wrath. He alone can bring peace! In fact, the Humble King comes riding on the Colt of Peace!

In the days of striving against God, against one another, within ourselves, within our world— we see the darkness, the mess, the brokenness, our darkness, our mess and our brokenness— and it was for our sake by which the King over all Creation would come to bear His life in the midst of our messed up, broken and sin-stained lives— to bring peace to the greatest problem in our lives.

3. Conclusion

This Palm Sunday, we find ourselves in the reality of the brokenness of the world, and as the world unravels we are able to see the unraveling of our lives—may we see our weakness, our brokenness, our sinfulness, our masks that we’ve worn, the idols we’ve placed all our hopes in---

But, as our world and lives seem to unravel— may we see the triumphant light of the Humble King, Jesus who breaks into our darkness.

Oh church today the Lord calls us to look towards Jesus Christ! See Him who reigns yet who did not create a distance between His people (though we did in our sin), but rather He came to deliver us out of the darkness and bondage of sin and death and into His marvelous light!