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Christ the Conqueror
March 28, 2021
"And they brought the colt to Jesus, and they cast their garments upon him; and he sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest." Mark 11:7-10
When Jesus entered Jerusalem the Sunday before His crucifixion, He came in peace and humility riding on a donkey. The little babe in a manger in Bethlehem had grown into a beloved man adored by the masses, many of whom still did not recognize His Deity but appreciated His humanity. A humble Messiah is challenging to identify, especially when others are looking for a mighty conqueror.
Even today, lost souls search for things and people other than our loving Savior. Some people gravitate to strong personalities and egregious personas. Attraction to the obscene, dangerous, or uncommon is often preferable to a meek, humble, and loving Jesus.
Christ entered Jerusalem riding a humble animal used for work and service, a donkey. These animals are used to protect sheep from predators, such as coyotes or wild dogs. They are intelligent creatures and loyal. Primarily, people utilize donkeys for agricultural tasks or generally as pack animals. Donkeys are relatively cheap animals to buy and maintain, especially for the work they can do. Often their population statistics are overlooked because of the common nature of these animals in more impoverished locales and countries. Yet, Christ chose to make His triumphal entry on the most significant political and religious stage, riding on the most common animal associated with the poor and weak.
We will often find God in the mundane and ordinary tasks of life. It is easy for our egos and pride to search for the Divine in grand achievements or unusual functions of great importance. However, God prefers to remain in the obscurity of daily humanity. He talked to Abraham, Moses, and David while they were watching sheep. He spoke to Elijah in the still, small voice, rather than the wind, earthquake, or fire. And on this occasion, Jesus came to Jerusalem having raised Lazarus from the dead riding on a lowly donkey, a symbol of peace and humility.
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. An out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." Revelation 19:11-16
When Christ returns for the Second Coming, He will be riding the White Horse of Death and Victory. The image of Christ found in Revelation 19 is far different than the meek and lowly Servant we read about on Palm Sunday. Jesus is no longer riding a humble donkey; instead, He is riding a symbol of death and victory, a white horse. Jesus will return in power and triumph. The legions of angels He could have summoned at Calvary will appear at the Second Coming. This picture of Christ is astonishingly different than before. When Christ entered Jerusalem before the crucifixion, He was obscure, humble, and ordinary. Jesus will return with unmistakable clarity as the KING of KINGS and the LORD of LORDS. There will be no doubt to His identity and the fierceness of His wrath. The often-overlooked Savior will be the unmatched Conqueror.
We often portray Jesus as the Christ of Palm Sunday. However, we are on the cusp of witnessing Christ the Conqueror, not Christ, the Servant.
This Palm Sunday, as we celebrate Jesus the sacrificial Lamb of Holy Week, Christians need to recognize Christ the Conqueror. He has already conquered hell and death (Revelation 1:8). Soon, He will conquer everything and everyone else. While it is good and necessary to recognize the humility of Christ and worship Him for the pain and suffering that He endured during Holy Week, our Savior will not return in the manner of His first arrival. If we continue to look back at the humble Jesus, we will fail to recognize the enormity of His power and majesty. If we only preach the humble Christ of the Gospels, we will deprive lost souls of the Christ they will one day stand before in judgment. He will not have the eyes of a humble, loving, and kind Savior. He will have the "fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."(Rev. 19:15)
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