Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

"Tell the daughter of Zion,

'Behold, your King is coming to you,

Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,

A colt, the foal of a donkey.'"

So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

"Hosanna to the Son of David!

'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'

Hosanna in the highest!"

And when He had come into the Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?" So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

- Matthew 21:1-11

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus moving through Jericho with the disciples, on His way up to Jerusalem. As He passes through, there are two blind men sitting by the side of the road. They cry out to Him, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" The crowd tells them to be quiet, but they shout the more: "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.'" This is Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which the Church celebrates on Palm Sunday. My study bible has a note, which is worth quoting in depth, as it gives us background to this scene. "By Jesus' time, Jewish nationalism had begun to rise, leading to the expectation of a political Messiah. Jewish leaders looked for a national king who would deliver them from the Roman yoke and reestablish David's kingdom. Many Jews wanted a king like Jehu (2 Kings 9), who shed much blood and who would not hesitate to use the sword for the realization of nationalistic dreams. Others, responding to the messianic signs of Jesus -- especially the raising of Lazarus (John 12:9-11) -- expected more. In humility, Jesus shows He has not come to reestablish the earthly kingdom of David. He does not ride in a chariot but upon a donkey, an animal of peace. This is no mere earthly king, but the King of Glory who has come to reveal the Kingdom of God. Thus, the Church sees the Son of God entering not the earthly Jerusalem only, but more importantly the celestial Jerusalem, to establish His reign and His Kingdom. He is taking the New Jerusalem to himself as a pure bride, and the children celebrate His entrance as if it were a marriage." We observe once again Jesus pre-knowing, showing us another characteristic of His deity. But the essential quality here is that of the fulfillment of prophecy in the coming of the King to the daughter of Zion: the age is inaugurated by a marriage feast of this King to His people, those of Zion, the holy Jerusalem, and the holy which dwells among us and with us. It is indeed the fulfillment of prophecy, the coming of the Kingdom which is not merely worldly.

So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!" Jesus is welcomed with the words from Psalm 118:25-26. My study bible points out that this psalm was recited daily for six days during the Feast of Tabernacles, which was the feast of the coming Kingdom. It was recited seven times on the seventh day of the feast as branches were waved. Hosanna means "Save [we] pray." So, in some sense, the words of the blind men in yesterday's reading are repeated here, in the welcoming of the Messiah who inaugurates the long-awaited heavenly Kingdom.

And when He had come into the Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?" So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee." The whole city becomes aware of what is happening, everyone wants to know, "Who is this?" The multitudes who follow and know who Jesus is tell them. We remember that the Pharisees will claim (as reported in John's gospel) that no prophet can come from Galilee. We also recall from John's Gospel the astonished words of Nathanael, reflecting popular scorn: "Can any good thing come from Nazareth?" But here the City proclaims Him, the multitude welcomes Him. Here in Matthew's gospel therefore, it is important that the crowds proclaim Him the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. He is the outsider, the unlikely. There is nothing predictable about this Messiah on worldly terms, and yet He is the fulfillment of prophecy.

In what is called the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, Jesus defies expectations, and yet He truly comes in fulfillment of prophecy, as stated by Matthew's gospel. Here we have a prime example of what it is for the heavenly Kingdom being inaugurated to overlay our worldly life, our worldly understanding. In this inauguration of the Kingdom, to be fulfilled at the end of the age in which we live now, we have an essential teaching of what it is to be pervaded by God's kingdom, the heavenly kingdom, infusing itself into our world in which we daily live also with the element of separation from God. He is the unlikely, the One that doesn't conform to our worldly expectations of worldly power and kingship. He doesn't ride in with an army, on a chariot, with a cavalry. He is the "lowly" King, the One who comes in humility, and in love, infusing the power of the heavenly kingdom with His worldly life. Those who welcome Him do so in love and expectation. Those who will follow Him will do so even after arrest, mocking, scourging, crucifixion. He is the Messiah who teaches us that all is not as it seems, who infuses a heavenly breath into our worldly life, in order to teach us about this Kingdom, for which entry is gained by faith, and by humility. This is the Messiah that will stand the world on its head, and include both Jew and Gentile, whose Twelve Apostles will spread His gospel to the whole world. At this moment of His triumphal entry, we must stop and ponder what our expectations of this Kingdom are today. Can we see, hear and feel the heavenly among us? Do we perceive with the heart, and with faith? What do we think this Kingdom looks like? Where is His grace, His promise for you?