Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood. He has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father. To Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. (Revelation 1:5-6)
This post builds on Jesus’ Grit for our Glory (Part 1)
A Royal Homecoming
In 2002, the former ruler of Afghanistan, 87-year-old Mohammed Zahir Shah, returned to his homeland after 30 years of exile. Thousands of people lined up at the airport and on the streets to see their former ruler. Delegations arrived from Afghanistan’s 32 provinces, including governors, women carrying posters of the king, warlords, and men in turbans. Red carpets were laid out. Women and children in traditional embroidered dress greeted Zahir Shah with flowers and poems.1
This reminds me of Jesus’ Palm Sunday entrance into Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. People cut palm branches and ran down the road to meet Christ. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!” Jesus rode a young donkey, fulfilling the prophet Zechariah’s Old Testament prediction: “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.”2
The Palm Sunday parade took Christ to His betrayal and rigged trial Thursday night, Jesus’ burial in a borrowed tomb, His crucifixion and death on Good Friday, and His victorious resurrection on the first Easter Sunday! It’s a famous story, but let’s look closer at some more details.
Why the Palm Branches?
In Bible times, palms symbolized grace and uprightness. And to the ancient Roman Empire, palm branches symbolized victory. Jesus’ entry reminded people of the Roman conqueror who laid down his weapons and battle armor and put on a toga, the civilian garment of peace. In many churches today, worshipers carry palms as a tangible symbol of the victory and peace Jesus achieved. Where palms do not grow, believers use branches of native trees.
Psalm 92 says, “Godly people will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like cedars. For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age, the godly ones will still produce fruit. They will remain vital and green, declaring, ‘The Lord is just! He is my Rock! There is no evil in Him!’”3 Green branches remind us that all our lives, Christians can and must keep on growing in Christ-likeness until Jesus takes us home.
In Revelation Chapter 7, John sees a vast crowd of Christ’s followers in heaven, too numerous to count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They stand in front of God’s throne and before the Risen Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The believers are clothed in white robes and hold palm branches. And they shout, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”4
So, the branches on Palm Sunday look back to the Old Testament (OT) and ahead to Jesus’ glorious gathering of His followers in heaven. What a day that will be! J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy lists 1,239 prophecies in the OT and 578 prophecies in the New Testament, a total of 1,817. Since Christ has already fulfilled over 300 prophecies at His first coming, He will surely fulfill all the remaining ones when He returns to Earth.
Soon and very soon, we are goin’ to see the King.
No more cryin’ there; we are goin’ to see the King.
No more dyin’ there; we are goin’ to see the King.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, we are goin’ to see the King!5
Why a Donkey for the King?
In ancient times, a king rode a stallion before battle, but on a donkey to pay a peaceful visit. Christ rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey, announcing that He came as a peace-making King, not as a war-waging monarch.
In Jesus’ first advent, He brought initial peace to His believers. Now He gives us peace along the way, as we follow Him through this life. When Christ returns, He will give us consummate peace. Hebrews 9:28 says, “Christ was sacrificed once for all time to take away the sins of many people. And He will appear a second time to bring final salvation to those who wait for Him.”
By choosing to enter the city on a donkey colt, Christ also deliberately fulfilled Zechariah 9:9, as mentioned above. He was announcing Himself as Messiah. the Savior of the world.
Our God is a Promise Keeper and Prophecy Completer. Our Lord follows through on His word, His promises, and His prophecies. So we can totally trust Him.6 Psalm 28:7 says: “The Lord is my Strength and my Shield. My heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and I give thanks to Him with my song.”
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Past History Jesus established His kingdom while here on Earth. He has saved and blessed us by His life, death, and resurrection. |
Present Day Jesus continues building His kingdom on Earth. As King of kings, He continues to save and bless us. |
Future Jesus will perfect His kingdom in the New Heaven and New Earth. He will complete our eternal salvation and joy. |
How Will the Second Coming be Different?
Scripture says, “God did not send His Son the first time to condemn the world, but to save us through Jesus. Whoever believes in Christ is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have rejected God’s one and only Son.”7
Dear reader, I lovingly warn you with tears in my eyes. When Christ returns, He will come as a judge to punish His enemies: all those who refuse to trust God, repent of their wrongs, and receive His free and glorious gift of forgiveness.8 Jesus will come as a mighty King, not on a donkey, but instead mounted on a white war horse.9 He will no longer be gentle, meek, and mild. In righteous anger, King Jesus will throw those who reject Him into hell, a place of terrible and endless punishment. So turn to Christ now, dear reader, and ask for His grace, mercy, and peace.
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Believers long for Christ’s return and His defeat of all evil. But God has allowed these last days to stretch out so that more people can turn to Jesus in faith. The Lord’s delay isn’t a hiccup in His plan. It’s intentional, because God is kind, not cruel. As long as He delays, there’s still time for people to call on Jesus to be saved.10 Will you turn back to God?
We beg you to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness. Don’t put it off. The right time to be right with God is right now. Today is the day of salvation!11
You can also read Jesus’ Grit for our Glory (Part 3)
Notes (various Bible translations and paraphrases): 1 Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah, “Afghans Give Ex-king a Royal Homecoming,” Chicago Tribune, April 19, 2002. 2 John 12:13-15, quoting Zec 9:9. 3 Ps 92:12-15 NLT. 4 Rev 7:9-10. 5 Song by Andraé Edward Crouch (1942-2015), an American gospel singer, songwriter, and pastor. 6 Adapted from Matthew D. Kim. 7 John 3:17-18. 8 2 Thes 1:8. 9 Rev 19:11-16. 10 Adapted from Whitney Woollard of The Bible Project. 11 2 Cor 6:1-2.