New Life in Christ — Triumph
Palm Sunday is the time we remember Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Some 400 to 500 years earlier, the prophet Zechariah had prophesied, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is uncompromisingly just and having salvation triumphant and victorious. He is patient, meek, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey,” (Zechariah 9:9).
The day before, Jesus was in Bethany where Mary broke the alabaster flask with a pound of very costly oil of spikenard and poured it on His head and feet, (Mark 14:3-9; John 12:2-8). A great many people came to Bethany to see both Jesus and Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. From Bethany, Jesus, the Christ, came into Jerusalem from the east side at Bethphage, where the Mount of Olives faces the Holy City. Everything that had been foretold by the prophets was being fulfilled. Everyone was excited as the King of Glory was coming into the city. No one in history is identified with this prophecy until Jesus entered Jerusalem with celebrations and great victory.
2 Corinthians 2:14 NASB95 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.
Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ.
Watch the prophecy of Christ’s triumphal entry unfold.
Matthew 21:1-2 ESV Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.
Matthew 21:3-5 ESV If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ”
Matthew 21:6-8 ESV The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and He sat on them.Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
Matthew 21:9-11 ESV And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Jesus the Christ, the Messiah of God, was at last entering into Jerusalem. Everyone thought He was coming to change history and break the chains and bondage of sin. The celebration was a high day for the people of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas as they remembered the things that He had done. The prophecies were being fulfilled before their eyes. Everyone was expecting great things to happen as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey. Lazarus, whom Jesus had called out of the tomb, was with Him and the people rushed to see Him because they had heard of this great sign. It appears that the whole region was excited and had gone out to see Him, (John 12:12-22).
“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
This is Christ’s triumphal entry.
This was the last time Jesus entered into Jerusalem before He was betrayed, arrested, tried, and crucified.
This is Palm Sunday and next Sunday is the resurrection.
In many ways, Christ’s entry was far from triumph for there were many Pharisees and other Jews who were already plotting to kill Him. They were enraged at Jesus and His miracles because the whole world had gone after Him. They were ready to kill Him and Lazarus. They wanted Lazarus dead because he was a living and undeniable example of Christ’s power. No one had ever done the mighty and wonderful things Jesus had done. Many testimonies were circulating of miracles, healings, and mighty works of power. They wanted to kill Christ because He defied them.
Multitudes of people spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from trees and spread them on the road before Jesus.
The crowd shouted: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” All of Jerusalem was stirred by the shout of triumph.
Matthew 21:12-13 NKJV Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
You need to know that God looks on His house. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.” God is carefully watching the things that happen in His temple. After cleansing His Father’s House, Jesus taught them several parables and the greatest commandment. As He was speaking, the Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees became enraged at Him. When the Pharisees heard the He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered around and asked Him what was the greatest commandment of the law?
Matthew 22:37 NKJV Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’”
Matthew 26:1-3 ESV When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
On the surface, this does not appear to be an entry into triumph.
He was continually being questioned and His words and works were being rejected. He was constantly being falsely accused and even those who walked with Him began denying Him openly. Then, He was handed over to Pilate to be crucified.
I want to show you Christ’s triumph.
Before we can really understand His triumph, we must see what Jesus was up against. The Psalmist wrote about this.
Psalm 88:3–6 NIV84 For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength. I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care. You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.
Our Lord had to face the ridicule and shame of public humiliation. Then He had to face the cross and death.
On the cross, Jesus faced the full power of sin’s penalty. Every force of darkness was against Him. If Christ could be defeated, there would be no triumph. To bring complete triumph, Jesus had to face and defeat all of our greatest enemies. He took your sinful nature and provided forgiveness of sins. He faced every code and regulation that was against you. He took the burden and penalty of sin of everyone who would put their trust in Him. He took it all away and nailed it to the cross. He disarmed every power and authority that would come against us. Christ triumphed over them all by the cross. Pay attention to all of that. He provided forgiveness of our sins. He canceled the code that was against us. He took it all away and nailed it to His cross. He disarmed powers and authorities and triumphed over them all through the cross. Jesus dealt death a fatal blow. He conquered principalities, powers, and the rulers of darkness.
Ephesians 4:8-9 AMP Therefore it is said, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive [He led a train of vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men. [But He ascended?] Now what can this, He ascended, mean but that He had previously descended from [the heights of] heaven into [the depths], the lower parts of the earth?
Ephesians 4:10 AMP He Who descended is the [very] same as He Who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.
Jesus entered into the realm of death and lead captives into triumph.
Listen to what was said when John saw Him in His glory.
Revelation 1:17–18 NKJV And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
When He led captivity captive, He gave gifts to men. He triumphed over the kingdom and power of darkness, sin and death. He came out of the grave with all authority and power over death and the grave.
When Christ triumphed, we became more than conquerors.
His victory is our victory. His triumph is reason for us to rejoice.
This is Christ’s triumphal entry.
Follow this closely. When He entered Jerusalem, He was headed to the cross and was headed to the grave. Jesus was on the attack to conquer the power of sin and death and He was not going to stop until He was going to arise in victory. When He arose in victory, the power of sin and death would be defeated. His knew His victory would bring every believer into His triumph. As a result of Christ’s triumph, God put all things under His authority, and made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church. (Ephesians 1:22 NLT) When God put everything under His feet, He made His church more than conquerors.
This is the triumph of Christ.
Revelation 1:17-18 He said, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
When sin, Hades and death were defeated, Jesus Christ ascended to the place of honor at the Father’s right hand.
We know something today that they did not know when Jesus entered Jerusalem that day.
Jesus the Christ was going past the cheers and praise of the multitudes. He was going past the cross, the pain, and the shame. He was headed to the throne and the Father’s right hand. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem was a declaration of victory for His church. This is victory for you.
Romans 8:31 NKJV What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
There is hope, health, healing, deliverance, and salvation for you because Jesus Christ triumphed.
