“Triumphal Entry” Mark 11: 1-11

         Today is the start of what is called in the Christian tradition, Holy Week. Between now and next Sunday, Jesus will enter Jerusalem to the waves of palm branches, share his final meal with his disciples, be captured, put on trial, beaten, and sentenced to death all before we gather together to celebrate Easter. It is hard to capture all of that in one sermon, so I want to invite you to our services throughout this week, especially on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, which will both be online on our Facebook page. Come and hear the story of Jesus that ties together the triumphal entry of this week and the triumphal resurrection of next week. 

This week I want to focus on that triumphal entry. Jesus is preparing to take his final journey across the threshold of Jerusalem. But before entering through the gates he sent two disciples ahead with instructions to untie a colt that they will find in the village that has never been ridden. If anyone questions them about it, they are supposed to say that the Lord needs it. 

Right off the bat in Mark 11, we are reminded of the mystery of God’s ways. We don’t know anything about this colt or its owner. How Jesus knows that it will be there. Why the people would let it be used with just those simple words. Yet, it took place, just like Jesus said it would. 

The disciples brought the colt to Jesus and piled it high with their coats before he sat on it. Then as the colt made its way through the streets into Jerusalem, the crowds through down their coats and branches while they shouted “Hosanna!”

If we take it at face value, it seems like a moving scene. Until we remember that the people around Jesus are literally crying “Save!” In a time when Rome thought it was in control. In fact, this event happens right before the Jewish celebration of Passover. One of the holiest days of the year. And who showed up in Jerusalem for this event? The Roman Gov. But not because it is a high holy day, but to control the crowd so they don’t get too rowdy on this day of remembering the Jewish liberation from Egypt. Even in the midst of a religious celebration, the government made sure that everyone remembered who was in charge. 

That assertion of control the Roman government saw as the way of peace. In fact it was called Pax Romana, the peace that existed between different nations under control of the Roman Empire. But that peace existed because of what Rome was willing to do. Which made it not very peaceful at all. 

And in the backdrop of all of that political unrest, here comes Jesus riding this colt, peacefully mirroring in a way the horse that a Roman ruler would ride through town when they returned from a battle they had won. People are throwing down coats and branches as a sign of respect and palm branches were being waved as a sign of victory. All while people are crying the word for “Save Us”. It looked like Jesus was coming to overthrow the Roman Empire. 

Which in a way, Jesus was. But not the way that everyone expected. We’ve mentioned again and again over the last several weeks how the crowds (and even the disciples) thought that Jesus was coming to claim political power and liberate the people from Roman rule. 

And Jesus did comes to bring liberation, but not in the way everyone thought as they were waving those palm branches and crying “Hosanna!” That day. See, Jesus’s way of peace was completely different than Pax Romana. He came to bring God’s message and God’s justice. And while Rome accomplished “peace” through shedding blood, Jesus would shed his own blood by the end of the week in order to liberate people from their sins. 

The crowd had their own expectations that day as Jesus entered on that colt. They were singing this song, part of Psalm 118, that was often sung as people entered the temple in Jerusalem, especially during the festival of Passover. Their minds were filled with thoughts of what had been done in the past, bringing them out of Egypt, as well as this Messiah that God said he was going to send, and whom they thought would bring peace through conquest, like what they saw Rome doing to them. 

They had their hopes and expectations tied up in the idea of the Messiah being a political power. Which is exactly the threat that Rome would have seen Jesus as that day. Yet, by the end of the week, the crowd would turn on Jesus and their expectations would not be met. 

Which leads us to ask, what really is triumphal about this entry? The people let their expectations make it into something that Jesus did not intend. It certainly fulfilled the prophecy found in Zechariah. But all the while, Jesus was trying to give a message of peace that the people didn’t want to hear. 

This entry is only triumphal in so far as it is connected to next week by everything in between. It is only triumphal in so far as we claim the powerful message that Jesus shed his own blood for us. You and me. While we were yet far from God. This entry is only triumphal in so far as we claim the Kingdom of God for what it truly is instead of what we simply hope for it to be. 

See, friends, we can be like the crowds that day. We too can put our hope in expectations instead of our hope in Jesus. Do you catch the difference? When it is simply about what we expect, that’s about us. That’s about what we want, what we desire, what we think is best. And I don’t know about you, but there are times I am wrong. When what I think is best isn’t actually best at all. 

Think about what would have happened if the crowds would have had their way that day? If Jesus would have been a Messiah that over threw Rome. That would have possibly been good for the people in that day and time. Bringing them freedom. But what Jesus gave was so much greater. His gift stretched across time and generations to bring freedom from sin to anyone who wants to claim him as the Messiah. Jesus wasn’t just coming for one generation in a particular geographic place. He was coming to show his love for the whole world.

Instead of placing our expectations on Jesus, what would happen if we simply journeyed with him? If we walked with him through all of this week to see and experience what he gave for us. What would happen if we set aside what we already think we know and come to the cross with Jesus for the first time? What hope is waiting for us there. And how would it reshape the triumphal Good News that we proclaim? Amen.