The Triumph of Easter

-
It’s Sunday. Jesus enters Jerusalem. The crowd shouts: “Hosanna in the highest.” The people celebrate. The long awaited Messiah arrives. This is the Triumphal Entry of Jesus.

But before the end of the week Jesus will be executed. In just a few days, He will be nailed to a cross. Yet, this is the Triumphal Entry of Jesus.

What is the Triumph?

In Exodus 19:5-6 God said, “Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” God makes a conditional agreement with the people: IF you faithfully obey all of My commands all of the time, THEN you will be saved. In other words, salvation is completely dependent upon perfect obedience.

Sounds like a terrible deal doesn’t it? Well, it is a terrible deal! Simply read the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 and examine how well you obey just those ten requirements. If you’re perfectly honest, you have to admit that perfect obedience to God’s perfect requirements is perfectly impossible. The only thing you’ve done perfectly is fail to obey God. So you need a champion. You need someone to be triumphant where you’ve fallen short.

The triumph of Easter is that Jesus perfectly obeyed where you have failed. The triumph of Easter is that the Messiah fulfilled the conditional requirements of God’s covenant. The triumph of Easter is that the Son of God fulfilled God’s Law.

“Hosanna” means “God saves us.” That is the triumph of Easter. God has saved us through the holy life and holy death of His Son. That is the triumph of Easter. God “made Him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin so that we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). That is the triumph of Easter.

It’s Friday. Jesus enters a tomb. The devil shouts: “Victory.” Darkness celebrates. The Messiah is dead.

It’s Sunday. Jesus enters the Resurrection. People shout: “Truly, He is the Son of God.” We celebrate. The Messiah is alive. Jesus has triumphed.

I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O LORD, do save, we beseech You; O LORD, we beseech YOU, do send prosperity! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD… (Psalm 118:21-26)

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 22, 2011 at 11:46 PM

    You know, I never thought about the Triumphal Entry that way...triumph, defeat, then triumph again! Thanks for the insight!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Only One Life ~ a poem by C. T. Studd

-
Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life's busy way; Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart; Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last. Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done; Then, in 'that day' my Lord to meet, And stand before His judgment seat; Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last. Only one life, then still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God's holy will to cleave; Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last. Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, an fears; Each with its clays I must fulfill, Living for self or in His will; Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last. When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a vi...
Read more

Ownership Attitude

-
It's Monday morning and you need to get to work. Here are your options : 1) bum a ride, 2) borrow a car, 3) rent a car, 3) lease a car, or 4) buy a car. With each of those options, you will have varying degrees of care and concern about the car. If you're bumming a ride, you don't care much about the car. You just hope it gets you to your job safely and on time. If you're borrowing, you care a little more about the car but only because you don't want to have to pay for any damages caused while you're using it. In that case, your concern is not about the car but yourself. If you rent a car, you care very little about the car because the rental insurance will cover damages. There's a little bit of personal skin in the game because you're paying for the rental and insurance but you don't personally care about the car itself. You know that your relationship with that car is going to be very short in duration. If you lease, you care about the car a li...
Read more

The Woke Religion Part 2

-
Image
Here's a second installment revealing how the social justice movement is an anti-Christian religion.  Please visit the Anthem Church YouTube channel (Anthem Church Live) to watch our all our videos. ANTHEM CHURCH LIVE
Read more