Triumphal What?

I have often thought about the triumphal entry of ancient kings returning to their cities having won some victory in war, with adoring, rejoicing subjects adding to the great pomp of the event. The king may have been gone for years while people waited to hear any news. The air would have been electric with the shouting of crowds knowing they were saved from destruction. Their king won the war. Finally they had peace.

Jesus' journey into Jerusalem known as His triumphal entry would have been similar in very few ways. Yes, the people were rejoicing over their King, waving palm branches and announcing the Son of David was here. They thought they were being delivered from an oppressive government. But unlike other ancient kings, the victory hadn't been accomplished yet.

What? They saw all the miracles, all the healings, the feeding of thousands from a little bit of bread and a couple of fish. This must be it! Victory! But it wasn't what they expected because days later Jesus was tortured and executed. Triumphal what? Triumphal failure? What they didn't understand was that this King hadn't yet won the war; the victory would be in His death and the days after when He rose from the dead. A perfect life. A perfect sacrifice. That was the victory He gave to His people.

But as He declared to them earlier, He wanted to gather them like a hen gathers her chicks, but they refused Him. They didn't understand the depth of what He was doing; and so often, neither do we.

A spectacular, crushing disappointment may look like the end of all things with no hope for recovery. But a triumphal failure from our perspective may really be a triumphal entry from God's perspective, an entry into something entirely new.

"Wait for it...."