Good stories are true stories. Not always in the sense that the events they tell happened in time and space, but, at the very least, a good story reflects an honest account of the world where the bad is not glossed over nor the good made little of. All good stories do this and all stories can be graded on this rubric: do they reflect THE Story? THE Story is the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There we see in time and space the fact that things are so bad that the Son must die to redeem sinners, but they are so good because he conquers the evil, but death to shame in his resurrection. There we see that things are so much worse than we ever thought and God's grace is so much better than we ever imagined.

The distinguishing mark of the Christian faith is that God comes down! He comes down as one of us in his incarnation. He comes down in time and space, speaking and acting in the world as one of us. He comes down lowly, not only in the manger but on the cross, the ultimate instrument of a lowly death. But he even goes down further. His body is taken down and is placed in the grave. And the Creed tells us "He descended into hell." And why? For us. For us and our salvation. He is The Descending God!

Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem reveals profound truths about authentic kingship and worship. While the crowds expected a powerful political savior, Jesus deliberately chose symbols of humility, riding a donkey instead of a war horse. His examination of the temple challenged where people placed their trust and hope - in worldly power versus divine authority. This transformative moment demonstrates that true kingdom authority operates through service and humility, not dominance and control.