The Power of Jesus

Often Jesus entry into Jerusalem is called his “Triumphal Entry”. And it is, but not in the typical way we think about triumph¹. Jesus entry into Jerusalem recalled on what Christians now call “Palm Sunday”. Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week². Each gospel describes Jesus intentional journey to Jerusalem. The journey to Jerusalem and Jesus’ presence in Jerusalem led to increasing confrontation with the powers in charge. Holy Week is, in part, the story of those confrontations that culminate in the Last Supper, Jesus’ trial, his crucifixion, and his resurrection.

After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.'” So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them,”Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord needs it.” Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. Now as he was approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order you disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.” Luke 19:28-40 NRSVUE

Throughout the gospels, Jesus did not act in the way that it was expected the Messiah would act. He is not interested in accumulating military power or appropriating the emperor’s power. Jesus, after his baptism, resisted the temptations³ to power the devil offered him. He claimed the authority of the Messiah and he used that authority in unanticipated ways. His entry into Jerusalem continues to show us the way of Jesus as the non conforming Messiah.

In Jesus time, entrance processions for kings and conquering generals were familiar spectacles and they had a recognizable structure. The king or general was escorted into the city by citizens and/or the person’s army. There were statements of acclamation. The procession was designed to proclaim the authority of the person. The entrance was followed up with an act that demonstrated their claim to the city, such as a sacrifice in a temple.⁴

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem followed this pattern and altered it. Rather than entry on a well trained war horse, he rode a young untrained colt⁵. He was escorted by “the whole multitude of disciples” rather than a conquering army. Using a slightly altered Psalm 118:26⁶ they proclaimed Jesus’ kingship. This Psalm was used in pre- exilic Israel during an annual re enthronement ritual.⁷ More recently the Psalm had been used to welcome pilgrims coming for festivals. It was typical for cloaks to be placed in the road during royal entrance processions. After arriving in Jerusalem, Jesus wept over the city (Luke 19:41-44). Jesus went to the Temple (Luke 19:45-46) where, rather than sacrificing, Jesus drove out those who were selling in the Temple. And then he spent days teaching in the Temple (Luke 19:47-48).

It was common for Roman authorities to be in Jerusalem during various festivals. Passover is the Jewish festival of liberation. Rome had a military presence to show its power and to quash any thoughts of liberation that might result in unrest. Some commentators suggest that while Jesus was entering Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, Pilate was entering with his own royal procession in another part of town. Jesus entered proclaiming the kingdom of God. Pilate entered proclaiming the power of the Roman Empire.⁸ Recognizing this helps us understand the theological and political implications of Palm Sunday. It was a direct, and non violent challenge to the Roman Empire. Palm Sunday continues to be a direct and non violent challenge to empires and governments. Who rules the world? And how do they rule? Do they exert power over people? Or power with people?

This Palm Sunday (April 13, 2025), as we hear the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, it is important to think about how Jesus used his power and calls us to use power, in contrast to the claims Christian Nationalism makes about power. Christian Nationalism is a cultural and political movement⁹. There is not a single leader of Christian Nationalism and there are various kinds of Christian Nationalism. Nevertheless we can identify common features. The common denominator is the belief that the United States should be a “Christian nation”. Beliefs about what constitutes a “Christian nation” can vary. A common denominator is the belief that “Christian” values and norms should be enforced by the government. Some Christian nationalists believe the United States was created to be a Christian nation. Some believe conservative, even fundamentalist Christian doctrines and beliefs must be enforced by law. There is a tendency to approve of authoritarian tactics to demand people show proper respect and obedience to national and a particular set of Christian values, symbols, and traditions. It seeks to compel, through the rule of law, adherence to particular values they deem “Christian”, including patriarchy, authoritarianism, militarism, nativism, white supremacy, and fear and distrust of religious, ethnic, sexual minorities.

Power, especially power over others is seductive. It is insidious. It is valued and enshrined in our national culture and institutions. And, sadly, power is valued and enshrined in our churches.

Christians need to think deeply and seriously about what Jesus said about power and how he demonstrated his authority as the Messiah. It is crucial for us to take seriously what Jesus taught and how he lived. What Jesus does during Holy Week in the first century is vitally instructive for us as we think about how to be Christians in the 21st century. The kingdom of God does not impose itself. It is not authoritarian. The kingdom of God challenges and re frames every way we understand power. It is power with. It is power among. It is power that invites. It is power that loves and cares for neighbors and enemies.

I hope you will spend this holy week deeply contemplating the way of Jesus and what his way means for us in these days.

1. Here is last year’s Palm Sunday post. ↩︎
2. Holy Week is the week between Palm Sunday(Jesus entry into Jerusalem) and Easter Sunday (the day of Resurrection) , which includes Maundy Thursday ( commemorating the Last Supper) and Good Friday (the day of Jesus crucifixion and death). ↩︎
3. Luke 4:1-13, See this post. ↩︎
4. “The Gospel of Luke” R. Alan Culpepper, in The New Interpreter’s Bible, volume 9, Leander E. Keck, Ed. (1995: Abingdon Press) page 366-367 ↩︎
5. A colt, generally speaking is a male horse less than four years old. Three to four years of age is when a horse, typically, begins being trained for riding. The contrast is a young, inexperienced horse versus a well trained older war horse. ↩︎
6. Psalm 118:26 “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” ↩︎
7. The Gospel of Luke, Joel B. Green, (Wm B. Eerdmans:1997) p 686 ↩︎
8. The Final Week, Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossan, (Harper Collins: 2009) Kindle Ed. location 115-149 ↩︎
9. Learn more about Christian Nationalism, here. ↩︎