Palm Sunday 2025

I graduated high school filled with pain and bitterness. I won’t delve into all of my backstory, but I will share that many of my wounds came from two events. First, I lost my older brother to suicide when I was in seventh grade. Five years later, that loss had still gone unaddressed, festering in my heart.

Second, my father kicked me out of the house at the beginning of my senior year in high school—long story. I didn’t see him for the entire school year. I was bitter and angry.

So here I was, heading into adulthood with no brother and no dad. I was a mess, filled with anger, bitterness, and depression, with nowhere to channel it.

About a year later, I met a man named Jon, who was ten years older than I, old enough to be an older brother figure. Jon was strong, athletic, and charismatic; he was instantly likable. Additionally, he was a gifted martial arts instructor who quickly took an interest in me because of my martial arts background. Within days of meeting him, I was signed up to be his student.

It's probably not difficult for you all to see why I would want to attach myself to a man like Jon. In the absence of men in my life, Jon filled a significant void. He affirmed me. He gave me purpose and direction. I felt strong in his presence.

Jon was also a bully. Looking back now, I can see that many of his “lessons” at his studio were just his way of maintaining dominance over his students, myself included. In just a few years, I caught him in several lies. He tried to involve me and other students in shady business practices. Even though I can see through him now, at the time I was blinded to the dark side of Jon because I needed someone to fill the void left by the men in my life.

Getting out from under Jon’s influence was painful, and it took several years.

Have you ever placed all your trust in someone only to regret it later? A friend? A co-worker? Even a former spouse? It is incredibly painful to have your trust broken, isn’t it? It’s one of the most difficult experiences we experience. The betrayal. The disappointment. It can shatter your heart.

Here’s a similar question:  Have you ever realized that you wanted more from someone than it was fair to ask of them? Have you ever realized that your expectations for someone were too high?

An easy example I’m sure many of us can relate to: remember that feeling of puppy love when you were young? That first time you fell in love in middle school or high school. You were infatuated. You wanted that boy or girl to be your everything. You were obsessed. Remember that? So silly, right? We might even say that’s foolish. No single person can be our everything. When we expect more from someone than they can provide, we suffocate them, and we end up bitter and heartbroken.

The Bible actually has a lot to say about this. When we place our trust in the wrong people, or set too much expectation on the right ones, what are we really looking for? We’re looking for security. We’re looking for love. We’re looking for affirmation, validation, and purpose. We’re looking for someone to be a central gravitational force in our lives that brings order and meaning.

The Bible says you’re looking for a King. If you are seeking ultimate satisfaction, security, pleasure, or affirmation from someone else, then you are trying to make them a King.

Often, these same people will take advantage of you, or you’ll crush them under the weight of your expectations on them, or both. And you’re likely going to end up disappointed and heartbroken.

See, here’s what our passage tonight is showing us, here’s what Palm Sunday is really about. That search for security, satisfaction, love, and affirmation will continue until you give your heart to Jesus and make Him your King. He is the King you seek, and He is worthy of your trust.

Let’s consider this passage briefly under two points. First, this text reminds us of the false kings we follow, and second, it shows us that Jesus is the TRUE king that we need.

First, False kings.

This story is likely familiar to many of you. Jesus is celebrated now, but he is actually nearing the end of his earthly ministry. This is the last week of his life. In just a few days, he will be betrayed by one of his closest friends, arrested, tried, and executed as a criminal. The Jewish leaders and the Roman officials, two groups who hate each other, will join forces to bring Jesus down.

This is a pretty severe punishment for a poor carpenter riding on a donkey, isn’t it? And why was Rome - who despised the Jews as less than animals - so willing to work with Jewish leaders to kill Jesus?

A little bit of history can answer this question and make this text come alive for us.

Jesus was not the first person during this time period to be celebrated as the Messiah, Savior, and King. In the decades leading up to Jesus’ ministry, there were countless messianic pretenders who claimed the title of Messiah and King. Each of these false kings attempted to lead a revolution to overthrow Rome. Let me mention a few examples for you.

There was a man named Judas, the son of Hezekiah, a bandit leader who was captured and killed by King Herod. Simon, a servant of King Herod, attempted to lead a slave revolt. He was caught and his head was cut off. Athronges, a shepherd, sought the kingship. Together with his brothers, he led a revolution. He was caught and killed.

Menahem, who rallied his townsmen, was received as a king in Jerusalem. He killed the high priest in the temple and became a tyrant until the people rose against him. Simon bar Giora, believed to have the aspirations of a tyrant, led a revolution in the countryside and proclaimed liberty for slaves. He emerged as a so-called messiah and was celebrated as a savior and protector. He was captured and executed for spectacle in Rome.

I could go on. You see how each of these leaders tried to grasp for Kingly power. Several of them were corrupted by it.  But every time one of these leaders emerged, what happened? People followed. Why?

Because they wanted a king, they wanted security. They wanted meaning. They wanted identity. They wanted affirmation. They wanted salvation.

But we can understand the Jewish people, can’t we? See, they were incredibly vulnerable. For generations they had been oppressed. Their temple had been destroyed. They were being oppressed by Rome. They were constantly shamed for their ethnicity and religion. They were always excluded. They suffered.

They were vulnerable. We are never more likely to go after false kings than when we are vulnerable. Remember my situation with Jon? I was incredibly vulnerable. I was deeply wounded by the men closest to me. I wanted someone to fill that void.

Have you ever felt vulnerable? Have the wounds of life ever made you feel fragile? Perhaps you recognize a pattern in your life of trusting the wrong people or expecting too much from the right ones because you are seeking someone to fill that hole in your heart. You’re looking for someone to bring you peace and security.

See, we do the same thing. We don’t call them Kings, but we’re doing the same thing. Our hearts are searching for someone who will give us this security and salvation we’re looking for.

There are many ways we can do this. We can do it with politics. Political movements often exploit the vulnerable. Politicians aim to convince you they are the solution to all your problems. And we believe them.

What about religion? We make kings from religious leaders all the time. I’ve done it. Broke my heart. Maybe you have too. Have you ever been part of a religious community that placed its leader on a pedestal? Yeah. Some religious leaders relish it. They invite it, command it, and demand your allegiance. Watch out. That’s not a pastor; that’s a cult.

Sometimes, the pastor gets elevated by the community as the holy man, the exemplar. That’s a lot of pressure. Please don’t do that to me. I will disappoint you. I can’t be your king.

We could go on.

But now let’s get a little more personal. Who has broken your heart because you wanted them to be your king? Whose heart have you broken by trying to be someone’s everything?

A former partner? A spouse? Many times, adultery occurs when one partner believes another person will provide everything they feel is lacking. There it is.

You might remember the story of the woman at the well in John chapter 4. Jesus meets this woman who is stuck in a cycle of vulnerability, seeking the wrong men to be the king of her life. Jesus says, “You’ve had five husbands, and now you’re with a sixth man who is not your husband. Those men have failed you. They broke their promises. Drink from me, for I will never break my promise.” Jesus broke her cycle of vulnerability and trusting the wrong kings.

Please don’t hear what I’m not saying. I’m not suggesting that you should never trust anyone else ever again. I’m not saying you should never give your heart to anyone ever again. That’s a very sad way to live.

What I am saying is that you should examine your own life to see where you’re prone to give your heart, or too much of your heart, to the wrong people. Beware of making someone a false king in your life. No one, whether it’s a president or a girlfriend, can be the person your heart is looking for.

There’s only one king like that, and his name is Jesus.

The True King

Return with me to the text as we consider Jesus, the true king. See him as he rides into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. The people are laying their cloaks on the ground and waving palm branches in the air. They’re hedging their bets once again, hoping that this poor carpenter will be the King they’ve been searching for.

Will this be the man who can keep his promises?

There's something different about this man. Can you see it? Every other would-be king before him relied on physical force and power. They raised up armies and took up swords.

Here is Jesus, without an army, without a sword, only a donkey. He knew the religious leaders intended to kill him. He knew he was going to die. He knew in a few days he would be executed for the sins of the world. I once had a teacher who said, “Any king riding into battle on a donkey knows he is going to be slaughtered.”

And yet here is. The king. And he’s made himself vulnerable just like us.

There is no other king like this one. Here, riding on the back of a donkey, is the king of the universe who has made himself vulnerable to save his vulnerable people. In Christ, we discover character traits that can be found in no one else.

In Christ, we discover a King who is infinitely majestic and infinitely accessible. He is perfect justice and perfect forgiveness. He possesses the highest power and the lowest humility. He is both strong and meek.  He is completely self-sufficient, yet wholly dependent. He is both commander and lover. He stands as a great fortress and a gentle stream. He’s the mighty tree and the delicate flower.

There has never been anyone else like Jesus, and there never will be anyone else like him. He is the King. He is the one you’re searching for.

You might be here tonight, and you’re not sure what to make of Jesus. Perhaps you grew up in church but haven’t been back in a long time. Maybe you’ve been deeply hurt by church people. Or perhaps you’ve never touched a Bible in your life. We’re really glad you’re here. I hope this evening is a place of peace for you.

Here’s a question I want you to think about tonight. Do you remember all those names of the false kings I mentioned a few minutes ago? Athronges, and all those guys? How many of you have ever heard of them before? Yeah, no one. Why? Because Rome crushed them all like bugs. Their revolutions went nowhere. They’re barely a footnote in history books anymore.

So why Jesus? Why did Jesus change the world? Why did this unknown carpenter from a small town, executed as a spectacle just like all the would-be kings before him, change everything?

It makes no sense unless he is truly who he claimed to be. Jesus is the King who fulfills his promises. Jesus can forgive sins and transform hearts. Jesus can cleanse you of guilt and shame. Jesus can bring justice and heal our deepest wounds. Jesus can foster peace and unity.

He is the King, and he changes everything. He is worthy of your trust. Will you make him your King tonight? If you have questions about what it means to put your trust in Jesus, I would love to talk to you tonight. So would Rome, Ali, or anyone else you’ll see up here in a few minutes.

The King at the Table

In four days, Jesus will be betrayed by one of his closest friends into the hands of religious leaders and Roman officials. He will face an unjust trial. He will be mocked, accused, beaten, and executed as an insurrectionist. This Jesus willingly endured death for his people and for our sins.

Yet before these events, Jesus set aside time to share one final meal with his disciples. That last night with his closest friends went a little like this…

Cuando llegó la hora, Jesús y sus apóstoles se sentaron a la mesa. 15 Entonces les dijo:

—He tenido muchísimos deseos de comer esta Pascua con ustedes antes de padecer, 16 pues les digo que no volveré a comerla hasta que tenga su pleno cumplimiento en el reino de Dios.

17 Luego tomó la copa, dio gracias y dijo:

—Tomen esto y repártanlo entre ustedes. 18 Les digo que no volveré a beber del fruto de la vid hasta que venga el reino de Dios.

19 También tomó pan y, después de dar gracias, lo partió, se lo dio a ellos y dijo:

—Este pan es mi cuerpo, entregado por ustedes; hagan esto en memoria de mí.

20 De la misma manera tomó la copa después de la cena, y dijo:

—Esta copa es el nuevo pacto en mi sangre, que es derramada por ustedes.

Even at the end of his life, Jesus was thinking only of us. He knows we are weak and vulnerable. He understands our frailty and how easily we are tempted to seek kings elsewhere.

And so, he gave us a meal to remind us of who he is and what he has done. At this meal, he said, “Take me. Look at this bread. This is my body, broken for you. Eat me. I will fill you.” Jesus is all we need.

Look at this cup. He said, “This cup is my blood poured out for you for the forgiveness of your sins. Drink from me. I will keep my promises to you.” Jesus is all we need.

This meal is sometimes referred to as Communion, Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Supper. It is what we call a sacrament, which is a sign of God’s grace that seals His grace in our hearts.

This meal is not magical. It will not solve your problems. It cannot earn God’s favor. It will not save you from your sins. It does not make you a Christian.

This meal is a promise from Jesus. He has promised to remind us of who he is: he is the King we seek. He has promised to lift our heads, to hold our hearts, and dry our tears. He has promised to meet you here.

The meaning of this meal can only be understood and received through faith. This table is only for people who have placed their faith in Jesus. If you’re here tonight and have not yet put your trust in Jesus, then we would ask that you refrain from taking the bread and the cup this evening. I don’t say that to exclude you in any way; quite the opposite. I say that to encourage you to be honest about where you’re at right now. You don’t need to deceive anyone. You don’t need to pretend. Instead, consider Jesus. Come to Jesus. Place your trust in Him.

If you have placed your faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and the promise of new life, then this table is for you. We will take our time at this meal together. There will be four stations you can come to when you’re ready. If you’re willing, the servers at your station would love to pray for you. Trina and Ernesto both speak Spanish if you’d like to visit their station.

You’ll take a piece of bread and a cup from the tray. Please do not eat or drink right away. Instead, take it back to your seat, and we’ll enjoy it together. This is a family meal, and it is meant to be shared as a group.