Triumphal Entry?

"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!'
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, 'Who is this?'
The crowds answered, 'This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.'"
Matthew 21:9-11

Recently, as I was reading Matthew 21 I began to wonder, what made Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem triumphal? Did Jesus think it was triumphal? Was it more triumphant for the crowd, who didn’t quite understand what was going to happen in just a few short days?

Today is Palm Sunday – it is the modern church’s memorial to the event described in Matthew. For us looking back it can be seen as triumphant because we know what happened. We know the end of the story. But back then only Jesus knew what was going to happen later that week and I don’t think he looked at his entrance to the city as a celebration. I believe his heart was heavy because he knew the crowd didn’t get it and that even though they were crying Hosanna in the Highest then – they would soon be shouting crucify him.

But here is the good news – there is something triumphal about Jesus’ visit to the city during that particular Passover celebration, it wasn’t his entry though – it was his exit. The triumph started with a beating, and continued as he exited the city with a cross on his back on his way to Golgotha. The triumph became even greater when He exited the tomb three days later and He continues to be triumphant today. Because of His triumphal exit we can live victorious and abundant lives because the One who died and rose for us will not let us be defeated. There is nothing that we will face, that by His power we cannot be triumphant over.

A prayer
Father – thank you for Your Son's triumphal exit from Jerusalem so many years ago. Thank you for saving us. May we cry Hosanna in the highest with all our hearts. In the name of Jesus, Amen.