Day Forty - Palm Sunday: The Triumphant Entry

Zechariah wrote: “Behold, your king comes to you, triumphant and victorious. He is humble and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass.” (Zechariah 9:9) KJV.

I find that in Bible studies I am always repeating that the Old Testament Prophecies are fulfilled in the New Testament and you cannot read one without the other. I also like to look a lot deeper into these fulfilled prophecies with new eyes. Let us look at the triumphant entry into Jerusalem with a fresh perspective.

Every Jew would understand Zachariah’s Prophecy and we know that they were expecting a mighty King on a war horse and a royal entourage. The crowds were shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9). But what did they get instead, no war horse, no richly adorned king and richly adorned entourage but a humbly dressed man riding on a colt with a bunch of misfits, humble fisherman and tax collector? I wonder what they would have been saying after Jesus and the disciples and followers passed them, waving their palm branches, I expect something like, “Well that’s not what I expected, was it you? Let’s go home, a bit disappointing wasn’t it”?

I’ve often wondered if those following Jesus had ‘Sweaty Palms’. Sweaty palms often are the result of anxiety, worry and concern, nervousness or hiding something back. The disciples knew what the crowds were expecting so I can only assume that they had ‘Sweaty Palms’.

In the ancient Middle East kings rode war horses into war but a donkey when riding into peace, so the expectation of Jesus riding a war horse was because they were expecting a king to deliver them from Roman occupation. But Jesus rode on a donkey, a sign of peace. Solomon also rode a donkey when he was made a king.

Zechariah 9:10 Also notes: “I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth."

Jesus fulfils the prophecy of Zechariah. And the New Testament reiterates it in Luke 2:14: “Give glory to God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace among the people who please God.” (NKJV).

Mary rode a donkey and gave birth to the baby Jesus in humility. Jesus rode into Jerusalem in humility and peace. He came for them in peace to be the saviour of the world. Jesus came for the weak, the oppresses and the burdened and he came to carry that burden for us. As he hung on the cross it wasn’t sweaty palms he had, but nails hammered through them and it wasn’t sweat that dripped down but blood poured out for the remission of our sins.

I hope I have helped you to meditate on ‘The triumphant entry’ in a much deeper and contemplative way. God Bless you this Easter and always.

Justin Lunniss