Jesus’ Triumphal Entry
Today is Palm Sunday, the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, as the people shouted praises to God for their King. They thought He would reign on this earth as the earthly kings had reigned. They were excited that at last they had a deliverer. As we all know today, they totally misinterpreted what was about to happen a week later. The disciples fled. Everyone trembled with fear because He was crucified. What they did not realize is that there would be a far greater kingly anointing that would come on them as a result of what He was about to do. He was about to carry all man’s sin and sickness and disease and set us free forever to be whole spirit, soul and body.
We are going to summarize the scriptures from Luke 19:28-44 and Matthew 21:1-11 concerning Palm Sunday.
As Jesus was coming toward Jerusalem, He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives and sent two of His disciples ahead, with these instructions: “Go into yonder village. When you get there, you will find a donkey’s colt tied (Luke) a donkey and a colt (Matthew), on which no man has ever yet sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, why do you loose him, say to him: Because the Lord has need of him.” This was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: Say to the Daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9).
The two disciples went their way and found it to be so even as He had told them. As they were loosing the donkey and colt, its owners said to them: “Why are you untying them?” They said: “The Lord has need of them.” They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over the colt and set Jesus upon it.
As He rode along, a very great multitude kept spreading their garments on the road; others cut down branches and scattered them on the road. As He was approaching the city of Jerusalem, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the crowds began to rejoice and to praise God loudly, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He, the King, Who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna. Glory to God in the highest heaven.” They were exalting Jesus for the mighty miracles and works of power that they had witnessed.
When Jesus came into Jerusalem, all the city trembled with excitement, saying, Who is This? And the crowds replied: This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee. Of course, the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke and reprove the crowds. He replied to the Pharisees: I tell you that if they keep silent, the very stones will cry out.
When He approached Jerusalem, He audibly wept over the city, knowing what would happen to the city and its inhabitants later.
Jesus’ disciples did not understand what was happening because they were looking only at the natural, fleshly circumstances. Indeed, they truly believed that their King Messiah had come to set them free. They were not able to see beyond the earthly, fleshly realm to realize that a greater spiritual freedom was about to be released on the earth for all mankind, which would surely result in physical freedom as well.
John 8:36: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”
He whom the Son sets free is free indeed.