The Unexpected King:

A Look at the Triumphal Entry

Mark 11:1-11

Robert Lewis reports that it was shortly after the Civil War that the City Council of St. Louis declared it “indispensably necessary to erect a bridge across the Mississippi River.” They began looking for an engineer to accomplish the enormous task. Resumes poured in from distinguished candidates, even from highly sought candidates such as Charles Ellet and James Roebling, who had both constructed suspension bridges across the Niagara River Gorge. All were turned down. Whom did they choose? James Buchanan Eads. Huh? Just look at his credentials: Engineering degree? None. Bridges built? None. Work Experience? He was involved in underwater salvage, a closed-down glass factory, a gunboat builder, and a river boatman. Not quite what you would expect for the person hired to bridge the mighty Mississippi. In fact, Roebling was noted for writing to his son and claiming that the “St. Louis people were fools.”

There was another chasm that needed a bridge; the great divide between man and God. And the One God decided to use was, well, quite unexpected. Startling actually. Bewildering for sure. Unbelievable for most. Yes, today we take a look at the entry of the King into Jerusalem. The “triumphal” entry some call it. Although as you look at it, there wasn’t exactly a whole lot of “triumph” to be seen. Simply, a teacher from the Galilee riding in on a donkey followed by a few fanatics, no doubt some of whom He had allegedly healed. Oh sure, he had a handful of ragtag followers that were riding in on His coattails as well, but they certainly weren’t royalty. No one actually knew them by name, and certainly they had never done anything worth noting, just a mix-matched bunch of fishermen, along with a tax collector and a political activist. No wonder almost everyone missed it. Certainly there was a curious bit of fanfare with people gathering around throwing down branches along His path, but I imagine that many of those were just chiming in without a clue. After all, this was a spirited atmosphere. People were singing and chanting as they made their way up to the City of David to celebrate Passover. It was an annual event; thousands came every year in every different way imaginable. So what was so triumphant about this? There was no war victory, no king to be crowned, no expectant crowd waiting for the return of some heroic leader on the return from some epic battle…just a simple Jewish carpenter turned teacher making His way along the busy highway toward the center of the city. Maybe not. Could He have been the Son of God, the Messiah, the One Who was to come, making His final ascent to lay down His life in the most extraordinary humble way…on a donkey, as predicted by the prophets? After all, this was the way that kings came in peace during the time of David. Maybe those that tagged along missed it after all. His ragtag group reflected about this after His death, and they realized that they had missed just how triumphant the entrance had been. “At first His disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about Him, and that they had done these things to Him” (John 12:16). You see, even the disciples missed it. Others scoffed at the idea; the Pharisees thought the triumph was theirs as He hung on the cross. That was…until Sunday and the empty tomb. Yes indeed, quite unexpected, both the person and the entry. How about you? Where do you fit in this procession? Are you simply caught up in the fanfare, scoffing at the possibility of Jesus as King, or are you committed to follow Him acknowledging Him as Lord?

The Unexpected King:

A Look at the Triumphal Entry

Mark 11:1-11

INTRODUCTION

1. Committed

2. Curious

3. Conditional

4. Care-less

5. Corrupt