03.27. Triumphal entry

Triumphal entry

According to various psalms and prophecies, the Jewish people expected their messianic king, the Son of David, to enter the royal city of Zion in a triumphal procession. Jesus saw that the time had now come to make such an entry.¹ It was a bold challenge to the Jewish people, especially his opponents, and therefore he made secret arrangements with just a few trusted people, so that no one could find out beforehand and try to stop it from happening. When Jesus made his triumphal entry, he came not as a conquering warlord, but as a king of peace. He was humble and riding on a donkey. The people in Jerusalem, both local residents and visitors who came for the Passover, welcomed him enthusiastically as the Messiah, though many had little understanding of his messiahship.² The Jewish leaders, however, were furious. The thing they most feared was happening before their eyes. News of the raising of Lazarus had swelled the crowd, and now it seemed half the world was following Jesus.³ The Jewish leaders seemed powerless.

Human nature inclines most people to be swept away by the praise they receive. Not so the Lord Jesus. He was not deceived by the excitement of the crowd. He knew that, when people understood properly the sort of Messiah he was, they would turn against him. Indeed, the nation as a whole would turn against him, and in the judgment that resulted, Jerusalem would be destroyed. He wept at the city’s refusal to accept its Saviour.⁴

Once Jesus entered Jerusalem, he headed not for the palace but for the temple. This again showed that his messiahship was concerned not with political issues but with spiritual. What he saw in the temple displeased him, but it was too late in the day to do much, so he went back to Bethany for the night. The next day he returned to the temple to cleanse it of its ungodly practices.⁵ 1. Matthew 21:1-5; Psalms 24:7-10; Psalms 110:1-7; Psalms 118:25-27; Zechariah 9:9 2. Luke 19:35-38; John 12:12-16 3. Luke 19:39-40; John 12:17-19 4. Luke 19:41-44; cf. Matthew 23:37-39 5. Mark 11:11-19; cf. John 2:13-22

From Bethphage down the Mount of Olives towards Jerusalem