Palm Sunday: When Grace Rides In

INTRO: SYMPTOMS+DIAGNOSIS (fall): 

Jesus is not the King we wanted, but He is the King we needed.

It applies to the first century Jew as I believe it does to the 21st century American.

The first century Jew found themselves in their own land but occupied by a foreign army.

We find ourselves under the real/perceived constant threat of our life (way of life), liberties, and freedoms being assaulted depending on which political team you listen to. If this person wins, look out! If that person wins, kiss the life as you know it goodbye!

The church has compromised itself as it’s tried to align itself with power starting back in the 1980’s seeking to try and force itself on government through political action. I don’t know that this should be a shocker, many have written about it over the last 10yrs.

Contemporary writers in Jesus’ day communicated how they were waiting for the Messiah to come, overthrow the foreign oppressors, and establish His Kingdom, God’s Kingdom there… from there He would rule and reign.

Jesus took even one of these politically motivated people onto his team, as a disciple, Simon the Zealot. The Zealots were known for their assassination attempts seeking to restore Jewish autonomy in their nation.

The church was never intended to wield national power. The church is to follow Jesus. The church is to follow Jesus.

Jesus did not seek political or military power, though Jesus was very political.

Can Christians hold power. Absolutely. Is it a sin… no. But they are to use that power to take care of the poor, the widow, the orphan, the immigrant, and the sick. They are to use that power to enforce justice and righteousness.

Jesus as we will see, could have made any statement he wanted to. He made many. But the statement that we remember today is one of Him entering Jerusalem, lowly/humbly on a donkey. Why? What’s the statement? What’s the significance? How might we, the church follow His example? A servant is not greater than his master.

If you have your Bibles or on your devices you may turn to John 12:12-19. If you are willing and able, would you stand with me as I read God’s word this morning. Praise Be to God. Let us pray. You may be seated.

Cultural Diagnosis

(v.12) John tells us that the people heard that Jesus was coming.

Josephus (Bel. vi. 422–425) describes one Passover, just before the Jewish War (AD 66–70), when 2,700,000 people took part, not counting the defiled and the foreigners who were present in the city. Even if his numbers are inflated, the crowds were undoubtedly immense. Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 431). Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

Passover was one of those festivals that every Jew who had the means and ability to come to Jerusalem was obligated to come, celebrate, remember, and partake in the commemoration of God bringing the Jews out of Egypt.

(v.13) They took palm branches and sought to meet him as he was anticipated to come into Jerusalem…

The Palm Branch is was not just symbolic of the tabernacle, but by Jesus’ day it represented all Judea (think of how the Bald Eagle represents USA or the Maple Leaf for Canada). Coins that were minted by insurgents during the Jewish wars against Rome had palms on them.

When Simon the Maccabee drove the Syrian forces out of the Jerusalem citadel he was met with music and the waving of palm branches (cf. 1 Macc. 13:51, 141 BC); Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 432). Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

So in taking the Palm Branches they were symbolizing and signifying a national pride and making a political statement.

They also shouted out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

I don’t know how much more political we can get here. You have an occupying force and you are shouting, here is our true King.

‘Hosanna’ is a Hebrew word that in it’s literal meaning is “give salvation now”.

This phrase comes based out of Psalm 118. This is what they call a Hallel psalm or a psalm of praise. They would sing this psalm amongst other Hallel psalm each morning by the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Dedication, and with the Passover. During these times they would wave palm branches or something similar.

Psalm 118 talks about the one who is blessed who comes in the name of the Lord. But “even the King of Israel” is not in that Psalm. They are making a statement that Jesus is King, Caesar is not.

Not a lot unlike the feeding of the 5,000, there are many who would be looking at this and excited that the time had come to overthrow their Roman oppressors. Many would have thought this is their moment where freedom was coming from their Roman oppressors.

(v.14) Something peculiar happens… Jesus found a young donkey, sat on it, and rode it into the city.

John gives us commentary how Jesus was intentional and actually fulfilled scripture in verse 15 quoting from Zech 9:9 and Isaiah 40:9.

We’re not to believe that this is something the average Jew would have known or understood. We’ll get there in a moment.

First Jesus and the donkey…

Triumphant kings would enter Jerusalem on a war horse (cf. Is. 31:1–3; 1 Ki. 4:26), which would have whipped the political aspirations of the vast crowds into insurrectionist frenzy, but he chooses to present himself as the king who comes in peace, ‘gentle and riding on a donkey’ (Zc. 9:9); Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 433). Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

Three points stand out: (1) The coming of the gentle king is associated with the cessation of war: this, too, was understood by John as defining the work of Jesus in such a way that he could never be reduced to an enthusiastic Zealot. (2) The coming of the gentle king is associated with the proclamation of peace to the nations, extending his reign to the ends of the earth. The latter half of Zechariah 9:10 is itself a quotation from Psalm 72:8, which promises a world-wide reign for Zion’s king, a son of David. (3) The coming of the gentle king is associated with the blood of God’s covenant that spells release for prisoners—themes already precious to John (cf. 1:29, 34; 3:5; 6:35–58; 8:31–34), and associated with Passover and with the death of the servant-king that lies immediately ahead. Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (pp. 433–434). Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

Jesus did not come to take life but to give His life as a ransom for many (Mk 10:45)

The way of Jesus is marked by service, humility, gentleness. Today that is an affront. What political, military, or community leader runs on the platform of service, humility, and gentleness… one of those maybe, but not two or all three.

But we know, that His Kingdom is not of this world… John 18:36–37 “Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.””

This is the King we need… this is the King that we have.

CURE (fire):

(v.16) They didn’t understand all that was happening and what it meant. It is arguable that they thought they were on the cusp of the revolution and they were on the front row to see their nationalistic dreams come true.

It wasn’t until Jesus was glorified, the Spirit came, and that He led them to understand the scripture and what Jesus was doing at the moment. So John is writing for us his commentary in what is happening here. He’s like, “I didn’t get it. I didn’t know what was happening, none of us did. But now we understand, now we know what He was doing.”

Their lives as disciples would follow Jesus through martyrdom. All but John were killed for their faith and allegiance to Jesus.

They sought to be conformed into the image of His death that they might experience the power of the resurrection:

Philippians 3:10 “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,”

Revelation 20:6 “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”

(vv.17-18) The crowds had seen and been in and around when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. That’s pretty exciting!!

Want to win the popular vote, raise someone from the dead, do the miraculous.

What are they thinking? They want Rome to leave. They have to battle Rome for them to leave. If we fight Rome they will slaughter us. But we have a King, a Prophet, a Healer that even has the power over death… LET’S GO!!

But there is a contrast between Worldly Power and Jesus’ Power:

Worldly power conquers through force; Jesus conquers through sacrifice

Worldly power demands submission; Jesus invites relationship

Worldly power takes life; Jesus gives life

Jesus intentionally did what he did in coming to Jerusalem in this way:

He didn't just happen to ride a donkey; he deliberately chose this symbol

This wasn't weakness but strength channeled through gentleness (meekness)

His Palm Sunday entrance foreshadows his willing sacrifice on Good Friday. His primary goal is not power, prestige, fame, or honor, but it is to do the will of the Father which will inevitably lead Him to the cross.

PRESCRIBE TREATMENT (form): 

What does following this humble King look like for us?

How might we choose the way of humility over power?

It doesn’t mean we are weak, but it is using our strength, power, influence under control… with purpose.

What does it mean to embrace Jesus’s “other way” in our political climate?

For theology nerds, there is a lot of grief “the third way option” has been getting. I don’t quite understand it but it’s evident here that Jesus does offer a third way. Roman wants power through oppression. Israel wants power for liberation… Jesus shows true freedom and power through submission to the will of the Father.

How can the church recapture the servant nature of its King?

Prioritize serving the vulnerable

Jesus consistently centered those on the margins—the poor, sick, outcast, and foreigner

Churches might evaluate their budgets and programs by asking: “Are we investing more in our own comfort or in serving others?”

This could mean developing meaningful partnerships with community organizations addressing homelessness, poverty, addiction, and other needs

Embrace humility in leadership

Church leaders modeling service rather than creating celebrity cultures

Flattening hierarchies and creating systems where all voices, especially marginalized ones, can be heard

Measuring success by transformation and service rather than attendance numbers or building size

Choose reconciliation over power

When faced with conflict, pursuing peace and understanding rather than “winning”

Creating spaces for dialogue across political and social divides

Being willing to listen to criticism, especially from those hurt by the church

Practice presence over platform

Moving beyond statements and social media to embodied presence with those suffering

Valuing ongoing, unglamorous work in communities over high-visibility, short-term initiatives

Creating church cultures where relationship precedes agenda

Choose sacrifice over convenience

Challenging congregations to give of time and resources in ways that genuinely cost something

Deliberately choosing the harder path of love over the easier path of judgment

Demonstrating that the way of Jesus often means giving up privileges and comforts for the sake of others

This is why in some arenas the church can be criticized because it’s hard and therefore it is rarely lived into or tried

The beauty of repentance

Jesus “wants all to come to repentance,”… connect his humble entry to his open invitation to all

The crowd misunderstood his kingship, but he still welcomed them

Even knowing many who shouted “Hosanna!” would later shout “Crucify him!” he still came gently to them

The paradox of Good Friday

How the humility displayed on Palm Sunday reaches its culmination in the cross

The ultimate display of power through apparent weakness and humiliation

The cross was a torture and demoralizing weapon, psychological warfare, by the Romans. It was to intimidate and put fear into their subjected nations and people groups

How the crowd’s misunderstanding of his kingship is resolved not in political victory but in resurrection where in He conquered sin and death.

Tim Keller, the late pastor/theologian, highlighted this in one of his last sermons. God is a holy God. He will wipe out, judge, and crush sin and death. But he became a man, suffered and died on a cross, taking the punishment of our sin upon Himself, rising again conquering sin and death, so that when He destroys sin and death, He doesn’t take us with it.

The plea of a gracious God who rides in on a donkey is that we would turn from our sin and give our lives to Him that we might know true life. When we are born-again, we start living into the life that we were created to live… that is in relationship with Him.

Conclusion

The crowds that day saw a glimpse of the King, but missed the fullness of His kingdom. They wanted immediate political liberation, but Jesus came offering something far greater—a kingdom that begins in the heart and extends to all creation. Yes, there is a day coming when this humble King will return, not on a donkey but in glory. The Righteous Holy King will consummate His Kingdom and destroy the principalities and powers that stand against Him. The palm-waving crowds weren't wrong to anticipate a conquering King—they were simply premature.

But between His first coming and His return lies our moment—this moment—where we are invited to partner with Him in this new kingdom that is coming and now is invading the world. The war horse will come, but first comes the donkey. The throne will be established, but first comes the cross.

This is the mystery of Palm Sunday: the King who could command armies of angels chooses first to command our hearts through love and sacrifice. We want to be on His side when He returns in glory, which means we must be on His side now—embracing His upside-down values, walking His countercultural path, and extending His radical love to a world desperate for true hope. For in the end, it is not the kingdoms built on military might or political power that will endure, but only the kingdom of the donkey-riding King.