Palm Sunday 2025 - Jerusalem: The King Who Comes to Die

Text: Matthew 21:1–11

Good morning, church family.

We have been studying the fourth section of Matthew, chapters 14-18, and seeing how Jesus is teaching his followers what it means to follow him and calling them to faithfulness. We’ve especially seen the last few weeks a focus on Jesus’ deity as the Son of God and the requirement of suffering, not only for himself, but for those who wish to follow Him.

And though we would typically be going straight to the next verses, we’ve actually skipped ahead a few chapters to chapter 21 because today is a special day in the church calendar.

Today is Palm Sunday—the beginning of what we often call Holy Week.

It’s the day we remember how Jesus entered Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, riding on a donkey, surrounded by crowds shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” waving palm branches, laying down cloaks on the road. It’s a day full of praise and celebration.

It’s often called “the Triumphal Entry” because it truly is a triumphant scene! The fulfillment of prophecy, the cheering of the crowds, the attraction of people who don’t even know what’s going on but they wanna know what the fuss is about!

And yet... we who know the story know what’s coming. Jesus knew what was coming and his disciples should have known what was coming because Jesus told them it was coming.

By the end of the week, Jesus was going to die. The same man who entered triumphantly will soon exit the city stripped and beaten. The same crowds who sang His praises will shout for His death. The streets that welcomed Him will soon be filled with people watching his walk to his execution. The King who came in peace will be lifted up—not on a throne, but on a cross.

In Matthew 21, as Jesus enters the city, verse 10 says that “when He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, ‘Who is this?’” That question is still the most important question any of us can ask: Who is Jesus?

Who is this King? And why did He come to die?

And Matthew wants to show us the answer.

Throughout this sermon, we’ll be walking with Jesus through the Matthew 21, 27, and 28, along with Revelation 21 and 22—through His entrance, His suffering, His resurrection, and His ascension—and we’ll see what kind of King He really is.

But we’re also going to do something a little different.

To help us reflect, we’re also going to lean into the lyrics of a modern hymn—“Jerusalem” by CityAlight. We’ll actually end our time this morning singing it together. It’s a song that traces the final days of Christ’s journey, from the city streets to the cross, from the grave to glory.

The song clearly and beautifully communicates the heart of these passages and invites us to see Jesus and all that occurred during that first Holy Week with fresh eyes—through reverent awe and wonder.

So let’s follow the King together—and as we do, I pray you’ll see not just the sorrow of the cross, but the glory of the King who came to die.

Let’s begin where Holy Week begins: with Jesus entering Jerusalem.

I. The King Enters Jerusalem

Text: Matthew 21:1–11

We just read Matthew 21:1-11 together and you know the scene. The King is coming—but not on a warhorse. Not in royal robes. Not with military power. He comes riding on a donkey—humble, gentle, deliberate.

And Matthew tells us this was to fulfill the prophecy from Zechariah:

“Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey.” (v. 5)

The crowds see a great hope. They spread their cloaks on the road—an act of submission and honor. They cut palm branches and wave them in victory. They cry out:

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

They were ready to crown Him as King… but they misunderstood what kind of King He is.

They thought He came to take power from Rome. But He came to conquer something far greater—sin and death itself.

They were praising Him with the right words, but not the right understanding. And Matthew tells us the city was stirred—literally “shaken”—by His entrance. The people asked, “Who is this?”

That’s still the question we must all answer.

Jesus didn’t come into Jerusalem for applause. He came to fulfill the mission of the cross. Even in this moment of celebration, we see shadows of what’s to come.

There’s a tragic irony here. The King is welcomed with praise, but we know it won’t last. He’s not surprised. This is the road He chose.

He came to die.

Not because the people forced His hand. But because the Father sent Him. And Jesus went willingly—knowing full well the praise of Palm Sunday would give way to the hatred of Good Friday.

So the question we must ask is: Do we welcome Jesus only when He fits our expectations? Or do we worship Him as the true King—even when He humbles us? Even when He carries a cross?

The crowds wanted a King who would give them victory. But Jesus came to give them salvation.

And for that… He had to go deeper into the city. Deeper into rejection. Deeper into suffering. Deeper into death.

This King rides into Jerusalem… to die.

The song says it like this:

See Him in Jerusalem Walking where the crowds are Once these streets had sung to Him Now they cry for murder

Such a frail and lonely man Holding up the heavy cross See Him walking in Jerusalem On the road to save us

II. The King Is Condemned

Text: Matthew 27:27–31 Jesus was very busy that week. In the course of 5 days Jesus rode in on the donkey, went to the Temple and flipped the tables, taught extensively and told many parables, prophesied his death, was anointed with oil, celebrated the Passover with his disciples, and instituted the Lord’s supper!

Judas, too, was busy. He went to the chief priests and asked what they would give him to betray Jesus. For the price of a slave, Judas agreed to hand over the Son of God.

This was all by Thursday evening.

Thursday night, Jesus was arrested and tried. His life was traded with Barabbas, the criminal, and Jesus was condemned to die.

Matthew 27:27–31 ESV

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

Here, the story takes a dark turn. The King who entered Jerusalem to shouts of joy is now condemned in silence. He is mocked, spit upon, beaten, and rejected.

Matthew tells us that the Roman soldiers gathered around Jesus, stripped Him, dressed Him up in a scarlet robe, pressed a crown of thorns into His head, and knelt before Him—not in worship, but in scorn. “Hail, King of the Jews!” they cried, laughing. Then they struck Him and led Him away to be crucified.

And in all of this—He said nothing.

And so often we wrongly view silence as weakness.

But Jesus’ silence isn’t weakness—it’s strength. It’s not resignation—it’s resolve.

Isaiah 53:7 tells us:

“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter…”

Why doesn’t He speak? Because He’s doing what He came to do. He is submitting to the will of the Father. He’s not being overpowered—He is laying down His life. Quietly. Purposefully. Lovingly.

To win for himself a new people, a new nation, made up of people

But verse 2 of the song reminds us of the wonder of this moment:

See him there upon the hill Hear the scorn and laughter Silent as a lamb he waits Praying to the father

See the king who made the sun And the moon and shining stars Let the soldiers hold and nail him down So that he could save them

Let that sink in.

The One being mocked by soldiers is the very One who created them. The One being nailed to a cross is the same One who stretched out the heavens. The hands that flung stars into space… are now bound. The voice that spoke galaxies into existence… is now silent.

The Creator is being crucified by His creatures.

And why?

“So that He could save them.”

That’s the heart of this moment. This is not a tragic accident. It is a willing substitution. He is being condemned so that we might go free.

This is the gospel: The holy King bears our unholiness. The sinless One is treated like a sinner. The Son of God is judged so that we might be justified.

He takes our filthy rags and places them on himself while also taking His own royal robes and placing them on us.

This is the scandal and glory of the cross.

So when we look at Jesus silent before His accusers, bruised by their fists, and nailed by their hands—we don’t just see tragedy. We see love. We see power under control. We see the King who came to save… even those who condemned Him.

And that includes us.

And verse 4 of the song beautifully puts it this way:

See him there upon the cross Now no longer breathing Dust that formed the watching crowds Takes the blood of Jesus

Feel the earth is shaking now See the veil is split in two And he stood before the wrath of God Shielding sinners with his blood

III. The King Is Risen

Text: Matthew 28:1–10

After the horror of the cross and the silence of the tomb, Matthew tells us in chapter 28 what happened on the first day of the week, Sunday.

The Sabbath has passed and Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb, not expecting a miracle, but to mourn.

Instead, the earth quakes. An angel descends. The stone is rolled away so that the world can look in and see that the tomb is empty! The angel says what no one dared to hope:

“He is not here, for He has risen, as He said.” (v. 6)

And then he gives the invitation: “Come, see the place where He lay.” The tomb is really empty. Jesus isn’t a memory or a martyr—He’s alive.

Death tried. Hell tried. Sin tried.

But none of them could hold the King.

He didn’t cheat death. He defeated it. He didn’t escape the grave. He conquered it. And Peter later preached, “God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it.” (Acts 2:24)

Jesus isn’t just alive—He’s reigning triumphantly.

So while the triumphal entry did not lead to an earthly triumph for Jerusalem, it led to a cosmic triumph for people of every nation!

He who was mocked with a crown of thorns now wears the crown of heaven. He who bore a cross now sits on a throne. He who was laid in a borrowed tomb now reigns over life and death.

And don’t miss the personal invitation at the end of this story. The angel tells the women:

“Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and behold, He is going before you to Galilee…” (v. 7)

Then Jesus Himself meets them and says, “Greetings!” And what do they do? They fall at His feet and worship Him.

Because that’s the only right response to the risen King.

We don’t worship a teacher or a prophet or a martyr. We worship the living Son of God, who died for our sins and rose for our salvation.

So here’s the good news of Easter:

If Jesus rose, then your sin is paid for. If Jesus rose, then death is not the end. If Jesus rose, then the King has won—and all who trust in Him will rise with Him.

And Jesus did rise!

See the empty tomb today Death could not contain him Once the servant of the world Now in victory reigning

IV. The King Will Reign Forever

Text: Revelation 21:1–5; 22:1–5

Revelation 21:1–5 ESV

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 22:1–5 ESV

1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Matthew’s gospel ends with the resurrection, but the story doesn’t end there. The King who came to die, the King who rose again, the King who reigns triumphantly in His people, is also the King who will return.

Right now, Jesus is “seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Reigning in glory. Interceding for His people. And one day, He will return—not riding on a donkey, but descending on the clouds.

The resurrection wasn’t the end of the story. It was the beginning of new creation. In Revelation 21, the apostle John sees the end of all things—and it’s a new beginning.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth… and I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…” (Revelation 21:1–2)

This is where the gospel leads: From the streets of Jerusalem… to the cross outside the city… to the empty tomb… to the throne of heaven… to the New Jerusalem, where death is no more, where every tear is wiped away, where the curse is broken forever.

And who will be there?

“His servants will worship Him. They will see His face… and they will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 22:3–5)

If we are His servants, the New Jerusalem is our destination. That’s the King’s victory for His people!

To free us from the tyranny of sin that we brought on ourselves through our own rebellion.

But he doesn’t just free us, he redeems us by Himself, for Himself, and to Himself! So that we may know the presence of God again! That we may experience a place that is even better than Eden!

And I love that the song doesn’t end with the resurrection of Jesus but ends with this great hope that we as Christians have! The song’s final stanza tells us:

Lift your voices to the one Who is seated on the throne See him in the new Jerusalem Praise the one who saved us Praise the one who saved us

This is not just poetry—it’s a biblically saturated call to worship. To worship the King who came in humility, who died in our place, who rose again in glory, and who reigns now and forever.

He’s not just the King who came to die— He’s the King who will reign forever in the city of God.

And if you trust Him—if you follow Him—you’ll be there, worshipping around His throne

Where the great curse of sin is no more!

Where tears of pain and sadness will not exist!

Where God Himself, our greatest desire, will dwell among us again, just like in the Garden.

The goal

Gospel Application:

To those who are unsure or seeking: This King came to die for you. He took the shame, the mockery, the cross—for you. Get off the fence and turn to Him.

To those who feel weary or ashamed: The King sees you. He bore your sin so that you may live unashamed. He rose from death to bring us life. He is not far off—He is near and calling you to joy.

To Christians who follow Him: Worship this King—not only with songs but with your life. Lift your voice. Live your faith. Go and tell others who He is.

To the Church: Our message is not moral improvement or religious advice. Our message is a King who came to die, rose to reign, and will return in glory. Let us be faithful witnesses.

To the world around us: Earthly kings rise and fall. But this King reigns forever. Let us live as citizens of His Kingdom—marked by grace, humility, and hope.

Conclusion

Conclusion: Behold Your King

We’ve walked through Jerusalem this morning. We’ve stood with the crowd and watched the King ride in on a donkey. We’ve followed Him through the streets to the cross. We’ve peered into the empty tomb. And now, by faith, we lift our eyes to the throne in heaven and look ahead to the New Jerusalem.

The question for each of us now is: Do you know this King? Have you trusted Him—not just admired Him, but surrendered to Him? Because this story is not just history—it’s an invitation.

Jesus came for you. Jesus died for you. Jesus rose so you could have life. And Jesus reigns, calling you to worship, follow, and belong to Him forever.

Our response to this truth, should be to live like it is true!

If you're here today and you're not a Christian—this is the moment to lift your eyes to the one who is seated on the throne. He is not a dead religious figure. He is the risen Son of God who calls sinners to come home. He can forgive your sin. He can give you peace. But you must come. You must trust Him.

If you are a Christian, then let today remind you: The same King who was faithful to go to the cross will be faithful to bring you home. So take heart. Keep walking. You are headed to the New Jerusalem—where there is no more death, no more crying, no more pain. Just the presence of the Lamb.

So today, let us respond to our triumphant King like the song says:

Lift your voices to the one Who is seated on the throne. See Him in the New Jerusalem. Praise the one who saved us.

Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, We thank You for the risen King—Jesus Christ, who conquered sin and death and reigns forever. Thank You for the hope of the empty tomb and the promise of the New Jerusalem. Help us to trust Him, to follow Him, and to worship Him with our whole lives. May we leave today with hearts full of joy, courage, and hope, Knowing that our King is alive, and He is coming again. In His glorious name we pray, Amen.

Time of Confession

Holy God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—

We confess that we have sinned against You. Father, You created us for Yourself, but we have wandered from Your ways. Lord Jesus, You gave Your life to save us, but we often live as if Your death means little. Holy Spirit, You dwell within us, but we resist Your work and cling to our sin.

Have mercy on us, O God. Forgive us for our pride, our unbelief, and our love of lesser things. Wash us clean in the blood of Christ. Renew our hearts by Your Spirit. And restore to us the joy of Your salvation.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Romans 5:8–10 ESV

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Church, this is the assurance we hold onto today: While we were sinners, Christ died for us.

Not only has He taken away our sin by His death, but He continues to save us by His life.

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for He has reconciled us to the Father.

Because of His finished work, we are forgiven, cleansed, and made alive in Him."

This passage helps us remember that Christ’s death was not just a one-time act—it is the foundation for our continued salvation, and His resurrection ensures that we are saved, forgiven, and restored.

Let us stand in this assurance as we continue to worship and adore the King who came to die, and who now lives and reigns forever."

Transition to Song

As we reflect on the great love of our Savior, and the assurance of pardon He has secured for us, let us now lift our voices together in song. We sing 'Jerusalem' as a declaration of the King who came to die, who reigns forever, and who will one day return to take His people home to the new Jerusalem. May this song remind us of His sacrifice, His victory, and our eternal hope in Him.