On a day like today, known as Palm Sunday, or the Triumphal Entry, history was being made! On the 10th of Aviv, now known as Nisan (March-April), as Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, the people cheered and waved palms. They also spread garments on the dirt road as Jesus rode in. So, what was the big deal with Him riding in to town? I thought He was humble? Well, you can’t get anymore humble than Christ making His grand entry, not on a fine Arabian horse, but on a donkey!
On this very day, the High Priests were examining the lambs brought in for inspection. They had to determine if the lambs were perfect for sacrificing unto God. Having missed the cue by God, when John the Baptist exclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb f God, who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29) Jesus, walked in demonstrating to everyone that He was both the perfect Lamb of God, and was entering in as the Messiah and King sent by God. Zechariah 9:9 tells us: “Rejoice greatly Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Jesus’ entry was saying, “Look unto me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:22). He was letting everyone know that He was the Lamb they needed to please God. He was letting them know their rituals, though ordained by God, were being replaced by God Himself as He was about to lay His life for all mankind, thus ending the need for anymore rituals. But they missed it!
Instead, like the lambs that were inspected, He too would be examined by the High Priests with a volley of questions, and found to be perfect for the sacrifice at hand. Pilate himself would say, “I find no fault in Him” (John 19:4). He passed inspection!
You and I are imperfect. There’s fault in us. We can’t present ourselves before God as perfect sacrifices for our sins, much less for the sins of the world! Were it possible, there would have been no need for Jesus’ sacrifice. We’d all be offering our lives to Him. But, even so, once dead, there would be no returning! Jesus, however, would lay down His life and bring Himself back to life!! Check out His words: “Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and to take it again. This commandment have I received from my Father” (John 10:17, 18).
The perfect God came to earth in human form by way of His Son, Jesus, to die for humanity laying aside His glory to take upon Himself our filth and dirty rags of sins, that we might receive His forgiveness and goodness, and be reestablished into His Kingdom as sons and daughters of the Most-High God.
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, both as Messiah and King, allow Him to ride into your heart today. Spread your sins before Him as garments on the ground that He may override them. Praise Him on high. Shout to Him, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD!”
Praise His Name Forever!
Sam