The Triumphal Entry

This Sunday is known as Palm Sunday in honor of Jesus’ festive and triumphal entry into Jerusalem after three and a half years of earth-shaking ministry.  It was one week before His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection.

Matthew 21:12-16 gives the best-detailed account from the four Gospels.  Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there.  He overturned the table of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.  “it is written,” he said to them, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.”  The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.  But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.  “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.  “Yes,” replied Jesus, have you never read, “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise?”

In these verses, Jesus calls the temple in Jerusalem “the house of God”.  I Corinthians 3:16 says that our bodies are the temple of the Lord.  With this in mind, we can see in Matthew 21 the progressive way the Holy Spirit deals with us after conversion.  

Jesus’ first act was to drive out all who were buying and selling there.  Biblical historians tell us that it was bad enough that these vendors were using God’s house to make a profit.  On top of this, they were also using doctored scales and finding ways to rip off the buyers.    When translated into the spiritual, this shows us that after conversion the Holy Spirit begins dealing with the things in our soul that the enemy is using against us to kill, steal, or destroy.  Jesus was restoring the temple to a place of purity.

After this Jesus quotes Isaiah 56:7 and declares that this temple shall be known as a house of prayer (for all nations).  God forgives us of our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness by applying the blood of Christ to our hearts.  Our hearts are now cleansed and garnished.  Our dead spirit has come alive.   Like a new baby that becomes attached to their mother and father, we are spiritual babies who need to develop a relationship with Father God.   It is important to develop a regular prayer life.  Our prayer time is not just for bringing petitions to the Lord, it is also a time to listen, to worship, and to develop intimacy with God.  We become a house of prayer.

The third thing Jesus did was begin praying for the sick and oppressed.  The blind and the lame came to Him and He healed them.  This is where we see the power of God being released.  This power is developed by a life of prayer. 

After the power of God was released, the children began to sing songs of worship and praise to the Lord.  Our worship will take on a new dynamic when it is accompanied by gratitude and thanksgiving for the wonderful things Jesus has done.  The temple had now also become a house of praise.

In Luke 19:47 there is one more spiritual truth to be aware of.  It says, “Every day he was teaching at the temple.  But the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.”   Outside the temple was the place of persecution. 

As we celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend we may want to reflect on the acts of Jesus as He entered the temple.  Let’s be aware that we are the living temple of God.  We are called to a life of purity, prayer, power, and praise.  We are also called into warfare and there will be persecution in due time if we are doing God’s will.  The good news for us is found in Luke 19:48- Yet they could not find any way to kill him, because the people hung on his words.  Let His word be your light, your fortress, and your deliverer as we follow Him in His will for your life.