From a Donkey to the Cross: Truth Unveiled

INTRODUCTION:

Talk about this being Psalm Sunday ….

Today we would have been witnessing what is titled “The Triumphal Entry.”

Jesus come into the city riding on a Donkey ….. Fulfilling prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9 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.

The people took psalm branches and waved them and others laid their coats and garments on the ground which was a sign of honor.

They were welcoming Jesus as a king or revered figure.

This act was a customary geusture of respect in ancient times, symbolizing submission and celebration.

This was evident by the crowd shouting, Matthew 21:9 “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Over the past few weeks I have been seeking what to share with you on this Palm Sunday.

I know the timeline of what I am going to share with you happens during the Holy week and not about the entry.

But I have had this passage in mind and believe this is what the Lord wants to unpack today.

Title of the message: From a Donkey to the Cross: Truth Unveiled!

SEGWAY:

There was a young professional named Alex, working at a thriving tech startup.

Alex is talented, trusted, and manages the company’s finances.

The CEO, Sarah, treats Alex like family, sharing her vision for the company’s growth.

But Alex grows restless, feeling underpaid and overlooked.

Tempted by a rival firm’s offer, Alex agrees to leak Sarah’s proprietary code for a hefty sum.

Loyalty to Sarah, once paramount, crumbles under the allure of money.

At first, Alex justifies it: “It’s just business.”

But when the deal is done, and the rival firm undercuts Sarah’s company, and guilt festers.

Alex sees Sarah’s heartbreak, the layoffs, the shattered dreams.

PAUSE:

Unable to face the betrayal, Alex spirals into isolation, haunted by the choice to trade trust for cash.

One night, overwhelmed, Alex walks away from everything—career, friends, hope—leaving behind a note of regret, a tragic end to a life undone by chasing the wrong master.

What a tragic story!

How does one get to a point as Alex did?

There is a familiar story found in the Bible that may shed light to this question.

There is a guy named Judas - talented, trusted, and was the manager of the company’s finances.

There was a CEO named Jesus - who treated Judas like family, sharing his vision for the company’s growth.

Lets read more about these two ……

BODY:

John 13:21–30 (ESV)

21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 

22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 

23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, 

24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 

25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 

26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 

27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 

28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 

29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 

30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

Matthew 26:14–16 (ESV)

14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 

15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 

16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

Mark 14:43–45 (ESV)

43 And immediately, while he (Jesus) was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 

44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” 

45 And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him.

Luke 22:48 (ESV)

48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Let’s look at three things when it comes to Judas:

Who is Judas of Iscariot?

What does Scripture reveal about Judas?

How is the actions of Judas relevant to us today?

Who is Judas?

Judas was, as his second name indicates, a native of Kerioth or Karioth. The exact locality of Kerioth (cf Josh 15:25) is doubtful, but it lay probably to the South of Judaea, being identified with the ruins of el Karjetein.

He was the son of Simon (Jn 13:2) or Simon Iscariot (Jn 6:71; 13:26).

He was the treasurer for the disciples, handling their money, but John 12:6 notes he was dishonest, stealing from the funds.

2. What is recorded in scripture about him?

His calling to follow Jesus! Matthew 10:1-4 Mark 3:19, Luke 6:16 all list Judas as one of the twelve who was called by Jesus. Judas is mentioned last with a caveat “who betrayed him.” John’s first explicit mention of Judas also affirms Jesus’ choice of him as one of the Twelve, and even highlights his allegiance at a time when other disciples are withdrawing.

His recorded episodes in Scripture! Matthew 26:6-13 Judas is upset by what, or more so, with what the woman anointed Jesus feet with (Expensive Ointment). 

We also know He may have been present at the preaching of John the Baptist at Bethany beyond Jordan (cf Jn 1:28), but more probably he first met Jesus during the return of the latter through Judaea with His followers (cf Jn 3:22).

However, John also simultaneously labels him a devil and references his future betrayal (John 6:66, 70–71).

As one of the Twelve, Judas is implied to have participated in the disciples’ activities, such as witnessing Jesus’s teachings and miracles.

Mark 6:7-13, Matthew 10:5-14, Luke 9:1-6: The Twelve, including Judas, were sent out to preach, heal, and cast out demons. Judas likely performed these tasks, as no exception is noted, but scripture doesn’t single out his contributions.

Matthew 26:25: When Jesus announces a betrayer among them, Judas directly asks, “Is it I, Rabbi?” Jesus responds, “You have said so.” This is one of the few recorded interactions where Judas acts (by questioning) in a group setting.

John 13:26-30: Jesus identifies Judas as the betrayer by giving him a piece of bread, after which “Satan entered into him.”

Judas then leaves immediately to carry out the betrayal.

His departure is an action, but no further words are recorded.

His conclusion! Matthew’s Account (Matthew 27:3-10): Judas, filled with remorse, attempted to return the money to the chief priests, confessing he had betrayed innocent blood.

They refused to accept it, so he threw the coins into the temple and hanged himself.

The priests used the money to buy a potter’s field, called the "Field of Blood" (Akeldama).

Matthew 27:4: After Jesus’s arrest, Judas says to the chief priests, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”

This is his final recorded statement, expressing remorse.

No other Gospel records Judas speaking after the betrayal.

Acts’ Account (Acts 1:16-20): Peter recounts Judas’s fate, stating he purchased a field with the betrayal money, where he fell headlong, burst open, and died. This field was also called the "Field of Blood." (The accounts differ in details but align on his death and the field’s name.)

Acts 1:25 notes Judas "turned aside to go to his own place," implying his spiritual fate.

3. How is the actions of Judas relevant to us today?

Judas was seeing things and anticipating things from his perspective: 

What was his perspective?

Jesus was going to usher in an army and overtake Rome.

Israel was going to defeat Rome and usher in the Kingdom of God.

Jesus was going to sit as the new King!

Judas couldn’t see beyond what he perceived was the truth! 

READ SLOWLY ….. this …..

Perceived truth, shaped by our limited perspective, often blinds us to actual truth, which reveals reality beyond our assumptions—just as Judas saw a warrior king in Jesus, missing the Savior’s divine purpose.

What we can conclude by this is ….. “Blinded by his own vision, Judas traded the true King for a conqueror’s crown.”

Judas believed that somehow his gifts and talents (Money bagger) was to be used to help Jesus usher in this military reign all the while helping himself to the moneybag.

He thought his gifts and talents could help Jesus!

Judas was saying, “I see what you are doing Jesus, Let me take it from here and help you with my gifts and talents.”

Let me say this about our gifts and talents….. Our gifts and talents should be that which is used by God not that which replaces God. 

I think we are might say, that at some point in time, we are guilty of this right?

How often have we prayed about something and believed we have walked away with it all figured out?

We know exactly how God is going to do something?

We know exactly how the pieces are going to fall in to place?

I have got it from here Lord!

And then it all seems to start unravelling.

It starts spinning out of control.

You find yourself starting to try and grab ahold of the wheel.

You believe the enemy is messing things up (He is but he is using you to do it).

Next thing you know it all comes crashing down.

Your first response is to place blame …… usually God!

This was all his fault.

How did the enemy get in the middle of all of this and influence Judas to betray his Master, his teacher, his rabbi, his Lord?

How does he do it with us today?

THE MAIN POINT:

He finds the weakness in the armor, …. the cracks in the house, ….. and for Judas, he exploited his greed and misguided hopes to sow betrayal where loyalty once stood.

Judas had issues with Money.

John 12:6 “He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.”

This would be the very thing that causes his downfall (so to speak). 

Sometimes if we have not truly surrendered those things that have caused us (in the past) to struggle or stumble, …. sin can come out from its dormant state and resurrect itself in ungodly ways. 

CONCLUSION:

On this Palm Sunday, we’ve journeyed from the triumph of Jesus’s entry, hailed as King, to the shadow of Judas’s betrayal, a stark contrast to the crowd’s “Hosanna.”

Judas, blinded by his vision of a military messiah, traded his Lord for thirty pieces of silver, letting greed and misplaced hopes open the door to the enemy.

His story warns us: when we cling to our perceived truth—our plans, our control—we risk missing God’s actual truth, the Savior who rode humbly to the cross.

Yet Easter’s promise shines through.

Jesus, betrayed yet unbroken, rose to redeem even our deepest failures.

Let’s lay down our palm branches of pride, surrender our weaknesses, and crown Him King of our lives today.

Declaration ….

I declare that I will

wave the palm branch of surrender,

reject the enemy’s lies,

and embrace Jesus

as my true King,

trusting His truth

to guide my gifts,

heal my cracks,

and lead me to His resurrection victory!

I declare this in Jesus Name!