Matthew 21: 8-9
Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 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!”
The Triumphal Entry is one of the few events in Jesus’ life that is mentioned in all four gospels. This should call our attention to the significance placed on this event.
The Father sent His Son into the world that He might embrace the pain and suffering of humanity. On the cross, He took our sorrow to become The Man of Sorrows. Palm Sunday is another example of Christ coming for us. He comes as the One who cleanses the corruption of the temple, and who ultimately offers His own temple-body as a sacrifice.
In this text, Jesus comes to Jerusalem as the Paschal Lamb who will give His life to deliver His people. As He enters Jerusalem the response of the people is symbolically rich. Matthew 21 states that the crowd spread their garments on the road. In the Bible, garments represent people. When Jesus sits on their garments and rides over them, they are saying that Jesus is enthroned over them. Jesus is re-enacting the Jehu narrative when Jehu was anointed as King and destroyed the temple of Baal. In II Kings 9, we read that when Jehu was anointed King, that in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.” Jesus arranged His entrance because He was symbolically declaring His kingship. He is the greater Jehu who rode over his followers’ garments into Samaria to destroy the temple of Baal (II Kings 9:11-13; 10:18-28). The antithesis is clear: we either lay down our garments and bless the Son of David or we are trampled by the Coming King.
The King who destroys the temple of Baal and is exalted above all does not come bearing a sword into the Holy City. The time of judgment is not now; now is the time of suffering. Now is the time to act as King, and Kings give their lives for their people, and Jesus is coming to Jerusalem to give His life. Now Jesus comes in peace, to be reconciled with His enemies; but on that final day, He will judge His enemies.
Application:
The response of the crowd was initially one of joyful submission. How often do we display this joyful submission? How is this reflected today?Do we display a profound sense of joy as we submit in heart, mind, soul, and strength to the One who rides over us?
Prayer
O God, Giver of all good gifts, we thank you for Jesus who gave Himself for us. We pray that our lives will be as the garments of Palm Sunday, laid down so that Christ might rule over us. Teach us to see the way to the cross as t
