1. Fulfilling Prophecy – Triumphant Entry
The final week of Jesus’s life on earth, the week he was to be crucified and fulfil his destiny is usually termed ‘The Passion Week’ and his ‘grand’ entrance into Jerusalem is also well known as the ‘Triumphant Entry’. I asked myself why the ‘Triumphant Entry’. Jesus was few days away from being crucified yet it was a day of celebrating him as King and saviour but why was his entry into Jerusalem considered a triumphant entry?
As I pondered over this question, I received some answers that has increased by faith and knowledge about what happened on Palm Sunday and now I celebrate Palm Sunday with that revelation. There were many attempts to kill Jesus and end his ministry but all failed because the way and the place the Messiah was going to die had already been prophesied. Jesus had to ensure that He fulfilled that prophecy as it is written in Hebrews 10:7
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come, In the volume of the book it is written of Me, To do Your will, O God.’ ”
God’s will was clearly written out in the Old Covenant as a shadow of things to come in the New Covenant. God sent many prophets to help the Israelites follow his ways but they ceased and killed God’s prophets for different reasons. Jesus himself acknowledged this pattern when he said in Luke 13:33
Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.
Jesus knew He had to die in Jerusalem and no where else and escaped attempts to kill him outside Jerusalem. If we know what God has been written about us, we know exactly what to accept and allow in our lives and what to reject and disallow in our lives too.
So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.
Jesus slipped through the crowd who wanted to kill him because he was not suppose to die that way. He was supposed to be hanged on a cross as he told Nicodemus in John 3.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:14-15
There are other instances where Jesus advised people not to tell anyone who he actually is or what he had done. This was all about timing, his time had not come yet to be known or to die, he had to make it to Jerusalem to complete his mission on earth.
It was a triumphant entry into Jerusalem because prophecy was fulfilled. Jesus triumphed over the different plots of the devil to stop this from happening. We shall also triumph and fulfil our destiny in Jesus name.
2. Setting the Captives Free
My life is a testimony of a life Jesus reclaimed from the power of darkness and now using me to blog his word to reach others in all parts of the world. The Lord saves us to use us for his purpose which is to reconcile people to God, reclaim lives to God because God does not take pleasure in the death of sinners. The demon possessed man and many others in the bible (Mary Magdalene) all went into ministry after Jesus set them free. Who the son sets free is free indeed.
And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’
Luke 19:29-31
The donkey was tied but Jesus needed it to fulfil his destiny. He sent his disciples to go and untie the donkey which is very prophetic as seen in Zechariah 9:9.
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zechariah 9:9
Jesus sent the disciples out to go and release the donkey from its bondage for his use. The donkey had never been ridden on, it was tied, restricted, possibly not the only donkey in that town nor the most beautiful donkey yet Jesus requested for this particular donkey. Jesus was very specific of the location of the donkey which means he knew about the donkey and had plans to use it. Jesus said when you see a donkey that is tied up, not one that was free. He chose the one that had limitations, he chose the one that was immature and unaware of its potential because it have never been ridden on.
It does not matter the limitations anyone has placed on you, Jesus is always in the business of removing those limitations so we can become useful to him. The Lord has need of us so He will send someone to deliver us from our bondage. The donkey could not come to Jesus but Jesus came to it.
Jesus never gives up on us, He knows us by name and knows exactly where to find us and he comes after us. Nothing can stop him not our sins or disbelieve because he loves us so much, he will do whatever it takes to bring us to himself. He leaves the 99 people who are saved and comes for the one that is lost and bound to set them free.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me
Isaiah 61:1
To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
3. Reclaiming Ownership of What Was Stolen
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10
The donkey was owned by another person but Jesus had to reclaim ownership and to do that his only words were ‘the Lord had need of it’. Jesus is LORD of all, to be LORD is to own all things, there is nothing that exist that is not his. The owner might not have easily given up his donkey, he might have resisted the disciples from taking the donkey, but in the name of the Lord the disciples were able to take the donkey away from its present owner to its rightful owner. We can do same when reclaiming souls from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. We tell satan to let them go in the name of the Lord and he has no option than to obey.
Whatever has been stolen from us by satan, our identity, peace, joy, children, spouse, job, marriage and anything else you can think of. The time to reclaim it is now in the name of the Lord. Reclaim all for the Lord has need of them. Our lives and everything about us or connected with us must be free to serve God and be used by God. The Lord is our authority to reclaim. Not by might, not by power, but by the spirit of the Lord we take back what the devil stole from us in Jesus name.
4. Acknowledging Jesus as King and Saviour
The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:
“Hosanna!
John 12:12-13
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
The King of Israel!”
For the first time, Israel welcome Jesus as King and Saviour not just a prophet and cried out Hosanna! Hosanna means save now, so the Israelites cried to Jesus to save them now. Acknowledging Jesus as King and Saviour was exactly what God wanted them to do so they can be saved, however they wanted a quick fix. Their way of being saved by Jesus was not the same as God had planned. Jesus did not enter Jerusalem on a horse dressed for battle but on a lowly colt of a donkey bringing peace.
The Israelites were not expecting Jesus to save them through his death and so they were disappointment because of unmet expectations and the same people who cried out ‘hosanna’ on palm Sunday shouted ‘crucify him’ few days later. Little did they know that it was by Jesus’s crucifixion that they were going to have their salvation and it was going to be a permanent one.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 58:8-9
5. Calling On The Name Of The Lord
Anytime the Israelites cried out to the Lord, he delivered them from all their troubles. As they called the name of the Lord to save them again on that day as Jesus entered Jerusalem, God answered their prayer because saving them was the very reason why Jesus was entering Jerusalem. Calling on the name of Lord should be part of our day to day life. We should be calling on the name of the Lord in good times and in bad times because all things work together for them that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
The recent Covid-19 pandemic has changed a lot of things globally especially people calling on the name of the Lord. Revival and prayer happening on the streets.
The word of God is being proclaimed widely through the internet and other means. Christians are waking up to the reality of Jesus coming soon and many souls have been won to Jesus as the focus of the gospel was reclaimed from all the destructions that entered the church. Sermons were focused on material things, miracles and prophecies. However since the pandemic sermons mostly focus on salvation, spiritual growth, and revival. Praise God for that.
I am personally so glad that since the pandemic, the number of times I hear preachers preach about spiritual things and invite people to give their lives to Jesus has increase which is great. I was really concerned that this was not done and wondered what gospel we were preaching and how souls could be won to Jesus if people are never given the opportunity to confess Jesus.
Sometimes we need a problem to remind us to call on the name of the Lord to save us but God want us to call on his name all the time. God does not bring problems but he uses it to get our attention on what is important in life and brings us closer to himself.
May we implement these lessons about Palm Sunday in our lives daily in Jesus name. Amen.
