The Ironic Entry

The fullness of time had come. Jesus now presents Himself publicly as the long-awaited King to the capital city, Jerusalem. It is the first formal presentation of Jesus as the Christ. The whole scene is deliberately dramatic and intentionally ironic. Oxford defines irony as “a condition of affairs or events of a character opposite to what was, or might naturally be, expected.” Irony often prepares the observer for a contradictory outcome of events. This is precisely what is presented in this remarkable scene. Jesus’ sovereign majesty cloaked in deep humility, the crowds’ exuberant acclaim of Him, and both the city’s reaction and the crowds’ response are all highly ironic. The careful observer will stand in awe of this prophetic procession of the Prince of Peace entering His capital “city of peace” in a sort of acted parable. All serves to stress Jerusalem’s question, “Who is this?” The very nature of Christ and His kingship are being revealed. Tradition labels the scene “triumphal”—context suggests “ironic.”