Anti-climax?
The so called “Triumphal Entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem has become a famous story – re-enacted each Palm Sunday with much noise and celebration. But it has also become self-contained. A kind of isolated episode not really connected with anything.
One of the reasons is that it appears to be a kind of anti-climax. Jesus arrives in Jerusalem after all the fanfare, and then looks around and goes back to Bethany. He doesn’t do anything when he gets there. And even the next day there is no great event. He has a little demo in the Temple and stops proceedings for a while, but nothing changes and then he goes back to Bethany again.
So what is he doing? Why the anti-climax? I think he is explaining things that are about to happen. He is providing riddles which later will make sense, so that his disciples can understand some of the implications of his death and resurrection.
The strange closing down of the temple (not really a “cleansing” – more a temporary closure), the incident with the fig tree (that he must have known would not have fruit), the odd saying about throwing “this” mountain into the sea, all these point to some kind of replacement – of the Temple, of Jerusalem and maybe even of Israel.
Why would the King, the son of David, want to replace any of these things? Perhaps replace is not the right word. In the first place he fulfilled the promises about a Davidic King. He also fulfilled promises about salvation and righteousness – including making it possible for Gentiles to be saved along with Israel. After his death it became apparent that he fulfilled all that the old sacrifices were designed to do. Or rather that is was his death that those sacrifices had always pointed forward to.
So some things didn’t need to be done any more. The importance of some places such as Jerusalem and the Temple changed greatly. And on the scary side, a religious establishment that wasn’t obedient to the Lord’s commands was facing serious judgement.
Yes, the King had arrived, but what would change? He is our King too. What needs to wither, be closed down, or thrown into the sea now that we serve this King who saved us?
Dale