November 20 — "When the Victor Rides In"

Today's Reading: John 12:1-26

In the ancient world, when a conquering king rolled into town, it was the event of the year. Picture it: generals strutting in on majestic warhorses, soldiers puffed up with pride, trophies gleaming, and prisoners trailing behind in chains of shame. The streets were electric—cheers erupted, intensity filled the air, and the people roared their praises to the hero who had crushed their enemies.

Every nation had its version of this spectacle, but Rome? Oh, Rome turned it into an art form with its “triumphal processions.” The conqueror’s arrival was the living proof of victory. But one day, in Jerusalem, a different kind of King made His entrance—and He didn’t come proudly galloping on a warhorse. He came humbly riding a donkey.

The crowd lining that dusty road shouted the same kind of praise usually reserved for military legends. “Hosanna!”—“Save us now!”—was their cry. Palm branches waved like national flags in a royal parade. They believed their Deliverer had arrived to snap Rome’s chains and restore Israel’s throne. But Jesus had a far greater victory in mind—not over Caesar, but over sin, death, and the grave. His crown would be thorns. His throne? A rugged cross.

This wasn’t random. It was prophetic. Jesus was fulfilling Zechariah 9:9: “Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey.” This was no accident—it was a bold declaration. In that moment, Jesus revealed Himself as Israel’s long-awaited Messiah—but not the kind they were expecting. The Hebrew word for “salvation” is yeshua—the very name of Jesus. So when the crowd cried “Yeshua, save us!” they were unknowingly shouting His mission. Their plea and prophecy collided in one glorious moment.

Here’s the twist: most kings rode in after the battle was won. But Jesus? He rode in before His. He wasn’t headed for a celebration—He was marching toward Calvary. And in doing so, He declared a triumph far greater than any Roman parade. Colossians 2:15 tells us that by His death, He “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, triumphing over them.” The irony is divine: the Lamb of God entered Jerusalem like a conquering Lion—His battlefield was a hill called Golgotha.

Now, every believer stands in that victory procession. Christ’s cross became His chariot, and His resurrection the trumpet blast of triumph. Those palm branches waved on that dusty road? They were just a preview of Revelation 7:9 & 10,  “Behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”  Oh, just picture that day!

So today, may the Lord Jesus Christ—our conquering King—ride triumphantly into your heart. And may His soon-coming victory parade be the anticipation of your heart—the joy you live for, the hope you carry, and the triumph you await.