The Triumphant Christ
Scripture Reading: Matthew 21:1-11
Meditation
No two issues are more volatile than politics and religion.
On the day Jesus rides into Jerusalem, the hammer of nationalism hits the flint of messianic expectation and sparks begin to fly.
Ever since the glory days of King David and the golden days of King Solomon, the people of Israel have longed for the Messianic King, the Son of David.
They have outlived the Exile. They have outlasted the rule and reign of the Persians. They have outstayed the Hellenization of Alexander the Great. And they have survived the desecration of their temple by Antiochus Epiphanes. Now, as they wait for their Messianic King, they’re riding out the iron rule of Rome.
In Jesus, the dream of the Messianic kingdom is rekindled.
With every word, story, and teaching, a weathered stick is gathered. With every healing, a log is added. With every miracle, a match is struck. As he enters the Holy City, the Messianic bonfire is ready to blaze.
His triumphant entry ignites a raging fire.
It’s stoked by national pride and fueled by dreams of a political theocracy. Hope has mixed all of the messianic ingredients together. The cauldron of a king is stirred. It’s beginning to boil and kingdom expectations are overflowing.
“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.’
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 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!’ ”
The crowds shout for his coronation.
They crown him the Son of David. They lay their cloaks on the ground to pave the way for royalty. And as the palms wave, they shout psalms of praise.
But in the days that follow his triumphant entry, their experience with Jesus fails to meet their expectations of him.
In less than a week, the people will become agitated. Nationalistic hopes will seethe throughout Jerusalem and the dreams of a political, powerful, and physical nation of Israel will turn to vapor.
When these things happen, only hate will boil over. Crowns will be switched—gold for thorns. Robes will be taken away. Coronation ceremonies will cease and crucifixion will commence.
Still, he is a king: just not the type of king they’ve been looking for.
His kingdom is from another place—heaven, not earth. He rules with truth and grace, not threats and garrisons. He carries himself more like a servant than a sovereign. It is he who bends the knee and washes his disciples’ feet. His throne is humility; his footstool is mercy. His rule is just but his reign flows out of love.
This king is different.
A colt confirmed what the prophet Zechariah had foretold.
“This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
‘Say to the Daughter of Zion, See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
His disciples should have known that Jesus was different. The crowds should have seen it. Here he is, entering Jerusalem riding sidesaddle on a colt: meek, mild, gentle, no threat to Rome. Still, he is royalty.
But their expectations blind and blur their eyes. The rule of their king, the scope of his kingdom, and their place in it have already been sketched, painted, and sealed in their minds. As with all earthly expectations, the picture on the canvas somehow became more beautiful and appealing than the model sitting on the stool.
Abstraction won out over reality.
The king in their dreams was much more attractive to them than the king in their real, wide-awake world.
Still he comes.
Royalty rides in on a beast of burden. The Messianic King takes up the basin and the towel of the servant. The sign of his coronation is not a golden throne or a jeweled crown but the wooden scepter of the cross. And as he holds the cross, he stands triumphant: robed in righteousness; crowned in glory; claiming and proclaiming authority.
Prayer
Father,
As your Son entered Jerusalem, the crowds shouted, “Hosanna!”
Behind, before, and all around, they welcomed him as the long awaited Messianic King. They declared him to be the Son of David and they paved the royal highway with their garments, palm branches, and psalms of praise. The flame of Messianic expectations burned hot. The swirling mass of people began to boil over with nationalistic hope. However, as the days passed, the crowds’ dream of an earthly king turned to vapor.
Your Son was a king but not the type of king that they wanted.
His kingdom was not of this world. He didn’t come with armies, swords, or political agendas. His enemies were not the legions of Rome but the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. He came riding on a colt, meek and gentle. He was a Servant King. His eternal purpose didn’t match their political expectations and so his coronation procession led not to a crown, a robe, or a throne—but to thorns, nakedness, and a triumphant cross.
During this day, help me welcome the Triumphant Christ.
And as my Servant King walks through this day, help me run behind, before, and around him. Show me how to place my garments on the road, wave the palm branches, shout psalms of praise, and crown him Lord of all.
It’s in his name I pray. Amen.
Reflection
What does it feel like when your experience of God fails to meet your expectation of him?
What are your expectations of the King and his kingdom? What does it mean to live in the kingdom of God?
How can you place your garments on the royal road, wave the palm branches, shout psalms of praise, and crown him Lord of all?
Consider the following:
“When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this Jesus?’ ”
Has there ever been a time in your life when you were “stirred” and asked that question? If so, what was happening in your life?
All Scripture references in the meditation are marked by italics and are taken from the Gospel reading for the day (Matthew 21:1-11). Those verses quoted outside of the chosen reading for the day are noted in parenthesis. All Scripture quoted on this site is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.