In ancient times, palm branches symbolized goodness and victory. They were often depicted on coins and important buildings. The Triumphal entry of our Lord Jesus into Jerusalem on the day we call Palm Sunday is an event with tremendous import on two accounts. First, it had political implications—not only for that day, but for ours, as well. Second, for the evidence it gives us that this Book–the Bible–is what it claims to be, that the Bible alone is the inspired Word of God.
The Meaning of the Triumphal Entry – Jesus proclaimed to be King. Many times during his ministry years, crowds had attempted a coronation of him. John 6:14-15: “Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.”
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Jesus would not allow them to coronate Him, “my hour is not yet come.” (John 2:4) “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.” (John 7:30) “Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.”
Until this particular day we call Palm Sunday, Jesus would not allow His coronation, and then Jesus fully allowed it on this particular day. Why this particular day? We will answer that in a moment; but first, let us consider the significance of this King – He is King of Kings, not just King over Israel, but King over the entire world. Indeed, King over the whole Universe.
As Americans, we tend to bristle at the thought of monarchy. We think it a bad form of civil government because it means one man can tyrannically rule over the people. But we can clearly see in our day that tyranny does not depend upon monarchy to flourish. Our republican form of government has succumbed to tyranny in our day for the same reason that all human civil governments develop in the direction of tyranny. Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
It is not Monarchy that is the root of the problem—it is fallen, depraved, sinful human nature that is the root of tyrannical civil governments. The only perfect civil government is one where a perfect sinless human being, who was fully man and fully God would reign over all the earth. Only one man meets that standard: Jesus Christ, and He is King over all. This triumphal entry was a recognition that Jesus was [and is] King of kings, and when His rulership as King is rejected, tyranny inevitably results.
We began well in America. We acknowledged that Jesus Christ is the sovereign Lord right in Article VII of the Constitution, where, above the signatures of the founders, is the statement, “In the year of our Lord.” They were, in that subscription clause, affirming that Jesus Christ is Lord of our land and Lord in the lives of those individuals signing the Constitution. Further, our founders had a slogan that, had there been bumper stickers in their day, would have been the most popular one – “No King but King Jesus.”
Clearly as the 20th century dawned, and now into the 21st century, there is an unmistakable rejection of Jesus Christ as King of our land. His name is forbidden to be spoken in many public places. His law is not only rejected in thought but in the actions of all three branches of civil government, as well as on most levels of civil government, as well.
You are well aware of many examples, be it the murder of unborn babies or the redefinition of marriage; less known examples would be civil asset forfeiture (raw theft by civil government) and, indeed, most aspects of our entire system of taxation, from property tax (a violation of God’s law) to income tax and so on. It began with the misnamed progressive movement, which was nothing less than progressively rejecting God’s Law and, in essence, rejecting the Kingship of Jesus Christ over our land. They were saying the same thing as those in Jerusalem said in that Holy Week, “We will not have this man to reign over us.” That commitment is a recipe for tyranny; our founders understood this clearly, that only “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.”
May we be used of God to so transform these United States of America, beginning with our own hearts, families, church, and state.
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