Palm Sunday 2026

Old Testament:

Ark -

Held the 10 Commandments.

Held some Manna that came from heaven.

Aaron’s rod that budded flowers

Symbolized God’s Presence among the people.

Represented ATONEMENT for the people’s sins. 1 time a year - Yom Kipper, the High Priest would sprinkle blood from the sacrifices of the Mercy seat (the place of atonement).

The story gets a bit wild: Over time, the people of Israel lose sight of what the Ark truly was. Instead of treating the ark with REVERENCE, they treated the ark like a Mascot, or a Talisman.

In 1 Sam 4, you can go and read about how Israel has lost their way. They were losing battles to the Philistines. There is a lot you can unpack in that , but for the sake of time today, let’s just understand that the real issue was the same issue it always is: SIN.

1 Samuel 4:1–3 CSB

And Samuel’s words came to all Israel. Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer while the Philistines camped at Aphek. The Philistines lined up in battle formation against Israel, and as the battle intensified, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about four thousand men on the battlefield. When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord defeat us today before the Philistines? Let’s bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh. Then it will go with us and save us from our enemies.”

In 1 Sam 4 you can read this and understand that the problem facing Israel was SIN - but rather than deal with the problem, the decision was made to go get the ARK of the Covenant and March it into Battle.

SO follow me here:

The problem was SIN.

Instead of confront sin, they THOUGHT they could just turn to God and God would bless them.

Listen, because this is HUGE: the people would rather go into physical battle, with swords and shields, than confront SIN in their life.

SIN was the problem them, and it is the problem now.

1 Samuel 4:4–11 CSB

So the people sent men to Shiloh to bring back the ark of the covenant of the Lord of Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. When the ark of the covenant of the Lord entered the camp, all the Israelites raised such a loud shout that the ground shook. The Philistines heard the sound of the war cry and asked, “What’s this loud shout in the Hebrews’ camp?” When the Philistines discovered that the ark of the Lord had entered the camp, they panicked. “A god has entered their camp!” they said. “Woe to us! Nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who will rescue us from these magnificent gods? These are the gods that slaughtered the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. Show some courage and be men, Philistines! Otherwise, you’ll serve the Hebrews just as they served you. Now be men and fight!” So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. The slaughter was severe—thirty thousand of the Israelite foot soldiers fell. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

The people of Israel thought they could just go get this TROPHY of theirs, this thing they possessed. Apparently thinking that they won it. They thought they could go get it, and just like that: problem solved.

Didn’t work that way.

Losses were heavy.

Philistine took the Ark .

Now the hand of God was heavy on the Philistines so they wanted rid of it.

1 Samuel 7:1–2 CSB

So the people of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the Lord and took it to Abinadab’s house on the hill. They consecrated his son Eleazar to take care of it. Time went by until twenty years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel longed for the Lord.

and the ark stayed hidden from the nation.

David goes and get the Ark, and brings it into Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 6:2 CSB

He and all his troops set out to bring the ark of God from Baale-judah. The ark bears the Name, the name of the Lord of Armies who is enthroned between the cherubim.

2 Samuel 6:5 CSB

David and the whole house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all kinds of fir wood instruments, lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

2 Samuel 6:6–11 CSB

When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled. Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there next to the ark of God. David was angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place Outburst Against Uzzah, as it is today. David feared the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” So he was not willing to bring the ark of the Lord to the city of David; instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. The ark of the Lord remained in his house three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his whole family.

Notice what happened: David goes to get the Ark. The people are dancing. The golden cart is good.

Except: they were moving the Ark wrong.

They had a CART being pulled by OX.

God instructed Moses that the Ark was to be moved on the Shoulders of Levitical Priests! The Ark was to be carried by the Kohathites—a clan of Levites—on their shoulders.

Numbers 7:9 CSB

But he did not give any to the Kohathites, since their responsibility was service related to the holy objects carried on their shoulders.

AND

No unauthorized person was to EVER touch the Ark.

Numbers 4:15 CSB

“Aaron and his sons are to finish covering the holy objects and all their equipment whenever the camp is to move on. The Kohathites will come and carry them, but they are not to touch the holy objects or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the tent of meeting.

Listen, we are not going into super deep detail: God has rules for His people in regards to moving HIS things.

The point here: The people FORGOT God’s way. They abandoned it.

They put the Ark on a cart pulled by OX and when the OX stumbled, Uzziah reaches down, Unauthoried - IRREVERENT - God strikes Uzziah dead.

And just like that: there was a massive realization: We are sinners, this is real.

Let’s try this again:

2 Samuel 6:12–16 CSB

It was reported to King David, “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s family and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from Obed-edom’s house to the city of David with rejoicing.

2 Samuel 6:12–16 CSB

When those carrying the ark of the Lord advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

2 Samuel 6:12–16 CSB

David was dancing with all his might before the Lord wearing a linen ephod. He and the whole house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of the trumpet.

2 Samuel 6:12–16 CSB

As the ark of the Lord was entering the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.

Man there is change of mentality. Reverence. Celebration.

Literally this is the picture of Hallelujah! Full body, full soul celebration.

and in the middle of this: Michal - David’s 1st wife, full of bitterness, despises David. She can’t even celebrate this moment for the nation. She can’t see past her bitterness to Praise the Lord.

Palm Sunday

Jesus enters Jerusalem.

Jesus.

John 1:1 CSB

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 CSB

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1 Timothy 3:16 CSB

And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

Enters Jerusalem

John 12:12–13 CSB

The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him. They kept shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord —the King of Israel!”

Jesus enters as God said HE would. With shouts of Joy.

Psalm 118:25–26 CSB

Lord, save us! Lord, please grant us success! He who comes in the name of the Lord is blessed. From the house of the Lord we bless you.

John 12:14–15 CSB

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written: Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.

Jesus enters the RIGHT WAY!

1 Kings 1:33–34 CSB

The king said to them, “Take my servants with you, have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon. There, the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan are to anoint him as king over Israel. You are to blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

Kind Solomon, the son of David, rode to his coronation on a Donkey. His descendent would do the same, just as God said:

Zechariah 9:9 CSB

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Palm branches

Leviticus 23:40 CSB

On the first day you are to take the product of majestic trees—palm fronds, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.

John 12:16–19 CSB

His disciples did not understand these things at first. However, when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. Meanwhile, the crowd, which had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify. This is also why the crowd met him, because they heard he had done this sign. Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You’ve accomplished nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”

And just like David: There is the one - I say the ONE - the RELIGIOUS Leaders - that should be celebrating as well. Instead they are bitter. They realize their power is in danger. They cannot celebrate. Refuse. IRREVERENT.

I can go on and on about the parallels and the Prophecy fulfilled when Jesus entered Jerusalem. Its all there.

But we need to bring this to fullness:

Palm Sunday and YOU

God keeps His word. It does not change. GOD said it, HE meant it.

GOD tells us to do it: WE SHOULD DO IT!

God does something FOR US: We should celebrate.

Luke 19:39–40 CSB

Some of the Pharisees from the crowd told him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out.”

Here is my question:

Did Jesus make a Triumphant Entry into your life? Most people here in the Bible belt really don’t seem all that different from before Jesus to after.

SO really the question has to be this:

Right Jesus? - Who is Jesus to you? GOD? Talisman?

Right Way? - Are you WORSHIPING God, HIS WAY? Full Body? Full SOUL? Hallelujah? Or do you care what people think? Is it more compartmentalized.

Right Reverence? - Reverence - deep respect for someone -

This one is huge. Because it is all encompassing.

“I worship God my way” “You don’t have to go to church” “well to me Scripture means”

Reverence - “God says, so I am really trying “

Trying to get life God’s way - which means DEAL WITH SIN - not ignore it

Trying to understand what God says - which means we will have to spend time with God, in God’s word - changing our habits