And, on that day, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem did appear triumphal. Picture this scene: “The crowds spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!’ When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.’” The loud shouts of praise turned, with the week, to cries of ‘Crucify Him!’ And yet, though we see the triumphal entry through the cruel lens of the cross, even the cross carries an unexpected element of triumph. Paul writes this about the cross: “But to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
JLM