Yearly, Passion Week arrives marking the (Jewish) calendar date of the week Jesus goes to the cross and is resurrected three days later. The beginning of this is marked by His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
Mark 11:7-10 reads, “And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!’”
This moment in Jesus’ life marked the beginning of the end of His ministry and all the manifestation of all the prophecies from ages past about the salvation of mankind. This week would be filled with betrayal and pain for Him, but it starts with this heartwarming scene of celebration and joy.
The beginning is a simple request of Jesus. One that He could have done Himself, but He asks the disciples to go into the city and get Him a young donkey. He tells exactly where to go, the words to say, and who to speak with to obtain this young donkey. The disciples do not have to understand fully, but only to recognize Jesus’ authority and be obedient to Him. They do exactly as He instructs and return with the donkey. They throw their cloaks on the donkey, and Jesus rides on the donkey as they enter the city. The people then spread cloaks on the ground and the leafy greens celebrating His entry. It is a moment of incredible joy for the moment of the Messiah’s work has arrived!
The joy and celebration are so great that the Jews, in their hardened state, take notice in Luke 19:39-40: “And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.’”
There was nothing that could stop the celebration when Jesus came into the heart of the Jewish world and the same is true when we are baptized. At the time of baptism, we feel that jolt of excitement in knowing that all our sins are washed away; knowing that salvation has come to us and that we are in a saved state. Even if the devil does enter our thoughts and offer us temptation, there is nothing to stop that joy we receive from fellow Christians and express for the gift we have been given.
Just as with Jesus, the true test comes afterwards. Baptism is a moment of joy, just as Jesus comes into Jerusalem, but that does not mean that Satan is finished with us. Just because a victory has occurred, Satan does not give up. After Jesus’ baptism, the devil tempted Him and mightily lost, but Luke tells us that he is not going to give up. Luke writes, “And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time” (4:13).
Peter said, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The devil, even during the triumphal entry, though the Jews, was already seeking to attack Him again.
As we go though our life as a Christian, we are not invulnerable to the devil’s temptation and will find that the attacks from the devil are ever stronger as we draw closer to God. We still live in this world, and our bodies are made from the dust of this earth. God made us for this world, but as it is fallen, we seek to find a way to overcome the sin which has entered in. That solution is Christ. The devil will never give up until the day when he is thrown into the lake of fire.
Lance Byers