Palm Sunday 2024

It’s hard to preach a Palm Sunday message and not see politics. Everything Jesus did in this moment stirred up unrest. This is why it’s important to know the context of things and the audience to whom Jesus is writing.

So let’s dive in

John 12:12–16 ESV

12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.

Here’s what we need to understand about the Roman empire. The way Jesus entered: In those days this was called the

Roman Triumph

This event was a grandiose parade for a military commander who had won an important victory on the battlefield. This parade was granted by the senate in a special vote. This parade became so big that it later was just reserved for the emperor. The people who shout out imperator which means commander in chief. This is where we get one of the titles for our president from.

Jesus’ entree would have resembled this triumph so the Roman officials would have been caught off guard and wondering why they were ushering Jesus in and who he would have triumphed over.

The second political statement was to the religious leaders. They expected Jesus to come in and overthrow the Jewish empire. The Jews expected physical freedom. They invoke a multitude scriptures that allude to a future triumph and a return to God and sovereignty, but they chose to ignore the very specific 300+ prophesies that prove Jesus was who he said he was.

He came in direct contrast to their perceived ideals. Biblically speaking donkeys resemble humility, suffering, service, and peace. Not only was Jesus prophesied to be riding a donkey when he entered Jerusalem, the other reference to donkey in the Old Testament was Balaam when his donkey rescued him fro the sword of the angel. This was considered a Christophany or Jesus in the OT and Resembles

Revelation 19:15 TPT

15 A sharp sword came from his mouth with which to conquer the nations, and he will shepherd them with an iron scepter. He will trample out the wine in the winepress of the wrath of God.

Despite being told to go It’s believed that Balaam was focused on the money; no the message God wanted to give so Jesus brought him a warning to obey God. This sword in Revelation comes to glean the harvest of the hearts that reject God and that are set apart for wrath.

So all these political things are happening and there are 3 points I derive form this.

Look not

Fear Not

Understand Not

Look Not

John 12:13 ESV

13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

Many believe the word for Hosanna means praise, but in reality it comes from two words

Hosan= Save Na= Now

They are saying Save Now- they are praising because they believe they are ushering in the conquering warrior.

It’s quoted from

Psalm 118:25–26 NKJV

25 Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.

The term save now i s Hosanna. Israel was looking for oppressive freedom and prosperity. I believe this is a timely message and why we need to be prayed up in the coming elections. Many Christians are believing for redemption and prosperity. I’ve heard a number of prophets preach prosperity is coming, and personally I’ve heard form the Lord that the tides of finances are changing and that he was going to increase HIs house and His people. I’m not here to tell you who to vote, but I will tell you how to approach every vote. I am not in the camp that you vote your convictions which many people are preaching from pulpits and social platforms. I believe that we should vote however the Spirit of God is leading. We need to get in touch with God because here is the lesson learned from Palm Sunday.

You can’t look at the Physical circumstance to determine the path of the Holy Spirit. If Israel would have honed in on God’s true heart-the salvation of people and not the ease of their current lives they wouldn’t have missed the message on Palm Sunday. We see this lesson again in

Psalm 107.

Psalm 107:6 ESV

6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.

We see this in V 11-15, 18-21, and

Psalm 107:26–28 NKJV

26 They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses.

At their wits end. This is where Israel is and I bet we’ve all been here: At our wits end.

But then we get to the message of

Psalm 107:31 NKJV

31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

The voice this is said in is a rebuke. God isn’t rebuking them for the need to be rescued. He is saying: Oh how I wish this desire for me and my ways was a constant attitude of my people and that they would always come to me in thanksgiving even in their lack of understanding.

2. Fear Not

John 12:15 ESV

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

This is a direct quote from

Zechariah 9:9 ESV

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

They knew the scriptures. They knew, but because Jesus didn’t do what they wanted him to do the way they wanted him to do it the same people yelling fear not are a week later yelling crucify him.

Understand fear not is found 365x’s in the bible. We have to as a people allow God to work the way he desires to work. The removal of fear is: the removal of presuppositions. If we stop trying to tell God how to work and instead walk the path God is working on most of our fear and anxiety would go away.

Fear comes when our understanding doesn’t match God’s chosen path

Which is

3. Understand Not

John 12:16 ESV

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.

I have found the majority of the time when I’m in the middle of journey I don’t understand, but once I reach the end I can look back and see how all the pieces of the puzzle fit. If Israel would have recieved the scriptures the way they written instead of trying to force scriptures where they didn’t belong we would be in a much different place. Resurrection Sunday would have look entirely different.

This morning I want to encourage you- Take the path even though you don’t know where you are going. Take the path despite all the questions aren’t answered. Take the path even though you don’t understand the destination.

Isaiah 55:8–9 ESV

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Use these Psalms you are taking home and place them in a place of remembrance. When you look at them I want you to remember to

“trust God’s process”