The Triumphal Entry

Hosanna! Hallelujah! Today we celebrate the day our Lord entered Jerusalem as King. Crowds lined the streets, waving palm branches—symbols of victory—and shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

During Passover, Jerusalem was teeming with pilgrims. This year, the atmosphere was electric because many had come specifically to see Jesus, the man who had raised Lazarus from the dead. But what does “Hosanna” truly mean? It is a desperate plea: “Save us now!” After generations of Roman oppression, the people expected a political liberator. They wanted a king who would use supernatural power to overthrow Rome and restore the glory of David’s earthly kingdom.

But was this Jesus’ definition of victory?

To the crowds, victory meant political independence. To Jesus, victory meant the cross. If Jesus had allowed the people to force an earthly crown upon Him—a temptation Satan himself offered in the wilderness—He would have actually suffered a defeat. He would have failed His true mission.

Understanding the Victory of the Cross

To grasp His triumph, we must look at the sacrificial system. For centuries, animal sacrifices served as a temporary covering for sin. But to truly crush the “serpent’s head” (Gen 3:15) and save humanity from the slavery of death, a perfect human representative was required.

Jesus knew His body was the ultimate sacrifice. As our Great High Priest, He offered Himself as a once-and-for-all atonement. His battle was not against Caesar; it was for the human soul. When He cried out, “It is finished!” He wasn’t announcing the end of His life, but the completion of His mission. As Paul writes in Colossians 2:14-15, Jesus canceled our debt by nailing it to the cross, disarming spiritual powers and making a “public spectacle of them.”

How Do We Make His Victory Ours?

In preparing for His entry, Jesus told His disciples to find a donkey and her colt: “Untie them and bring them to me… The Lord needs them.”

This colt represents the human condition. When something is tied up, it is restricted and useless. We, too, are often “tied up”—by debt, toxic relationships, pride, or the weight of our past. We cannot enjoy true life while we are bound.

Who can untie us? Only the Holy Spirit of the risen Lord. We become free the moment we surrender our lives as “vessels fit for the Master’s use.” Freedom is found not in doing whatever we want, but in being untied by Christ to carry His presence into the world.

Conclusion

We are all like that little donkey. On our own, we are beasts of burden, unable to remove the heavy yokes of trauma and sin. But Jesus invites us: “Take my yoke upon you… for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Passion Week. To reach eternal victory, we must walk through the “tunnel of the cross.” When we die to our “old selves,” the Holy Spirit unties our burdens and transforms us.

Today, let us lay down our “cloaks”—our pride, our shame, and our wounds—at the feet of the Lord. May we live as “untied” people, carrying the peace of Jesus and sharing His resurrection life with a world in need.

Amen.