Triumph to Tragedy

In American history, the Civil War is perhaps the darkest time in the young nation’s life. It was state versus state, brother versus brother. The first shots were fired at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. The war lasted almost four full years, ending with Lee’s surrender at the Appomattox courthouse on April 9, 1865.
Abraham Lincoln was the President of the United States during this time. During this time, he never gave up the thought of reconciling the Confederate states back into the Union. April 9th became a great triumph for Lincoln personally and the United States became united once again. Five days later, tragedy came to the nation.
April 14, 1865 President Lincoln went to see the play, “Our American Cousin.” A few hours later, shots rang throughout the theater. President Lincoln had been shot. April 15th, six days after the end of the Civil War, President Lincoln was dead. Triumph had turned into tragedy.
There was another time when triumph turned into tragedy.
The Jewish council was expecting the Messiah to show up any moment. They knew what the prophets wrote about in their writings. They knew they would be set free from tyranny. They longed for the person that would reclaim the throne of Israel and establish a nation forevermore.
When Jesus entered into Jerusalem, it was known as the “Triumphal Entry.” Many expected him to come into Jerusalem and claim his kingship over all of Israel. He was supposed to remove the Roman occupancy and declare Israel a sovereign nation. As Jesus neared Jerusalem, the citizens greeted him by laying palm branches down before him. These palm branches symbolized victory, for they were certain he was going to remove Rome from their midst.
Shortly thereafter, Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was approached by Judas, one of his chosen twelve, and given a kiss. This was the signal the soldiers that accompanied Judas needed. They arrested Jesus and took him to face the Roman governor. The temple leaders wanted Jesus killed, but Roman law stripped them of the ability to execute anyone. The crime that they brought before Pilate: Jesus was a king, trying to subvert Roman rule. “And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.’" (Luke 23:2 NIV). The one thing they (the Jewish leaders) hoped for, the one thing they truly desired was the one thing they used against him.
Jesus entered into Jerusalem in triumph. Within a week, he was put to death. All that they sought after, all that they believed in, all that they knew was for naught. Their king was dead. There was no hope. There would be no future kingdom. Jesus’ triumph had turned to tragedy.