Holy Week Devotional Sunday Triumphant Entry

Matthew 21: 1-11

I still remember the first time dressing up my daughter in her Easter Sunday dress and the pride I felt as I watched her wave her palm branch as she strolled through the church aisles. The tradition of reenacting the celebration is handed down to my daughter, helping her understand and know her king is on His throne. We have a king and today we celebrate His triumphant entry to Jerusalem, just as Israel did so long ago.  

The first triumphant entry actually occurred hundreds of years before Christ.  David gives his royal mule to Solomon and parades him into Jerusalem giving us a picture of what was to come. The pride David must have felt as his son Solomon is anointed and enthroned in public with a triumphant celebration is the same pride I have of watching my daughter celebrate the true king Jesus’s entry.  Solomon’s entry into Jerusalem on a donkey declares him to the people as the true king, just as Jesus is declared king centuries later.   When Solomon was announced as king, those who were plotting to take the kingdom, such the priestly leader Abiathar and all the religious leaders following him, and the military leader Joab are revealed as false.  In a similar way,  Jesus enters announcing his authority, and the Pharisees and Sadducees and all religious leaders who were plotting against Him are false in God’s sight. Solomon, a king on a donkey, is the true son of David just as Jesus is a true descendant of David.  

The triumphant entry shows a contrast between God’s Kingdom of humility arriving on a donkey, instead of the Babylonian (Rome) worldly war horse. It shows a different value than the Babylonian (Rome) world value that wants to demonstrate military force to promote power.  

Solomon failed as the true king and led his people to exile, but Christ is the fulfillment of God’s promise and is the true king who leads people to the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). The Triumphant Entry of Christ unmasks all pretenders and leaves us with Christ alone as our King. 

Today let us celebrate like our children wave our palm branches to our King for He is worthy; He alone. 

For Comments or Questions Reply: Blog@nwbc.church