Biden, Trump and the Triumph of God’s Will
Even in Chaos, We Can Trust God’s Plan to Bring Good
Stop for a moment and think about the Palm Sunday story. If you do, you will encounter a sobering reality: the most advanced civilization of the ancient world failed at every level. Read it and weep.
- The Roman government was corrupt.
- The Temple’s religious hierarchy was complicit.
- The crowd was fickle.
- Jesus’ friends were feckless.
- Jesus' followers scattered to the winds.
Nothing worked. No one was righteous. Everybody failed. It was, as we say today, a complete dumpster fire.
Does this sound familiar?
We need only look at the current political landscape in the United States to see the parallels. Our political system is in crisis, with tensions running high and anxiety gripping the nation. Civil discourse has given way to harsh rhetoric and deep divisions. Riots are becoming routine. Violence is expected. People who might have once disagreed respectfully now resort to screaming matches across social media platforms.
Consider this: Our republic is the greatest system of governance the world has ever known. It has also produced two incredibly flawed candidates for the coming election: Biden and Trump. Many Americans wonder: Are these really the best options we have? The upcoming election season looms like a dumpster fire on the horizon, threatening to divide an already fractured nation further.
What Did You Expect?
I saw a book about marriage by Paul David Tripp a few years ago. I didn’t read it. I didn’t have to. The cover and the title said it all: a couple leaving their wedding, driving off in a roadster-style car with a hand-made sign hanging over the rear license plate that read “Just Married.” The young couple, from years ago, heading out into the world together. That’s sweet. Hopes and dreams ahead! But the title of the book told what the book was about in a single sentence question: What Did You Expect?
Indeed. What did you expect from a marriage when two sinners are brought together in wedlock?
We should ask the same question about the ancient Palm Sunday story and the current story in our culture and country. What did we expect when sinners run the world?
It’s easy to look at the Palm Sunday story and the current drama and feel discouraged, to wonder how God could work amid such overwhelming failures and disappointments, both then and now. Sinners are still in charge! But as we dig deeper, we find a glimmer of hope that shines through the darkness.
The Triumph of God’s Will
Despite the betrayals, denials, corruption, and sorrows that marked Palm Sunday, God’s will ultimately prevailed. The events that brought Jesus to the Cross were not random. They had been conceived from the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1). Even in the face of every evil force that sought to stop it, God’s plan was carried out to secure our salvation.
This is the incredible truth of the Gospel: no matter how dark things may seem or how much the world may rage, His will cannot be thwarted. The story of Palm Sunday reminds us that despite the most devastating failures and disappointments, God is still at work, bringing about His redemptive purposes for the world.
This is true even now.
We are living in the tumultuous waters of our current political and social climate. We all feel it. But we can take comfort in knowing that God’s will is not dependent on the successes or failures of any earthly system or leader. God is not surprised that sinners are still in charge. He is sovereign over all, working behind the scenes to accomplish His purposes, even when everything around us seems to be falling apart.
Reflection Questions
1. Do you see the brokenness of the ancient world reflected in our current political and social landscape? What parallels can you draw between the events of Palm Sunday and the divisiveness of our modern world?
2. In what ways does the story of Palm Sunday give you hope and perspective as you worry about the challenges and uncertainties of our current political climate?
3. How can you actively trust in God’s sovereignty and redemptive purpose?
Closing Prayer
Sovereign Lord, we acknowledge that our world is broken and our systems are flawed, just as they were in the time of Jesus. We confess our own tendency to get caught up in the divisiveness and despair of our political climate, forgetting that You are ultimately in control. Help us to keep our eyes fixed on You, trusting in Your redemptive purposes. Give us the courage to be agents of Your peace and reconciliation in a world that is desperate for hope. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and King. Amen.
