Palm Sunday, Holy Week 1
Notes
Transcript
What is Palm Sunday About?
12 On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.”
The people of the time were accurate in there spirits and hearts to do and say what they did.
We soon found out what their expectations were when what they were hoping for did not happen the way they want it to happen.
Expectations: Idea of
What the people of the time thought Palm Sunday was about?
The idea of Jesus coming to town to become king was exciting.
This would mean they would no longer have to suffer under Caesars or the Priests rule any longer.
This idea of Jesus is what they were excited about.
If you want to find where you expectations are in life, look for “SHOULD BE’s’.
Or That is not fair.
Should be’s are a sign that you have specific expectations that are not happening.
When expectation are not happening the way you think they should you will be unhappy.
Your expectations are indicators of your worldview.
A worldview is how you view what is happening in the world. Or
The meaning you give on what is happening in the world around you.
Expectations of the people of Isreal
Jesus would be a royal king.
Jesus would be a worrier or conqueror.
Jesus would be a priest.
Hosanna = to save, to deliver, to give victory to…
The Donkey
God likes to use donkeys in the bible to change people’s perspective.
-Balaam’s donkey speaks after being treated bad for not listening to him. The donkey could see an angel.
(Numbers 22:21-35)
-Solomon rode David’s mule to confirm he would be king. (1 Kings 1:33-44)
-King Saul was led to find a lost donkey but instead he found Samuel the prophet of God. (1 Samuel 9-10)
Jesus rode the donkey-colt—specifically an unridden one—because it fulfilled Zechariah 9:9 word-for-word: "Behold, your king comes to you... humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
That prophecy painted the Messiah as gentle, not a conqueror on a warhorse.
Here’s why the "unridden" part mattered: in ancient Jewish custom, animals never used before were set apart for holy or royal, like sacred offerings or a king's first ride.
It symbolized purity, untouched by ordinary life, mirroring Jesus himself as sinless and set apart.
Donkeys symbolize peace—kings rode horses for battle, but donkeys for humble arrival.
Jesus shows up as the peaceful king, not a rebel warrior.
Separated World View / Empire Connected World View / Shalom
Not Enough More than Enough
Independent Interdependent
Certainty Mystery
Perfection Fallibility
Self centered Jesus centered
Seeking love From being loved and loving
Job Joy
Connected World view.
Jesus dropped a big hint of what people would act like in a connected world view.
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”
It appears that being in the Jesus kingdom is to love him enough that we would all stand up for Jesus in His time of suffering.
Jesus was pointing to what would happen if people were living from a connected world view.
The same crowd that cheered on Jesus entering into the city was either no where to be found or silent.
It was the idea of Jesus coming into the city to save their lives that moved them to the a surface level of love.
Jesus view
What view was Jesus looking at when enter the city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday?
He was walking towards his death and resurrection.
About Jesus; for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross. (Heb 12:2)
Jesus was full of expectancy of what He was showing and bringing to His people by his actions.
Jesus had his eyes and heart fixed on making us connected to Father. A Connected world view.
John
Before Jesus was going to die He spoke of a prophecy from Zechariah about them all leaving Him and scattering.
31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.’
John either defied this prophecy or quickly turned around to join Him through His death.
John, (The One Whom Jesus Loved) was living from a connected world view.
If we choose to abide in Christ love for you, you become the one whom Jesus loved.
If we choose to abide in Christ love for you, you become that Kingdom of heaven Jesus told us and showed us.
It is vital we put our expectancy in Christ in us not our expectation in what we think He should do.
Our Hope is in Christ in us.
Closing:
What is Palm Sunday about?
Palm Sunday is about abiding in Jesus love for you, so you can be fully connected to Him.
Palm Sunday is not about this idea of Jesus coming to save us from problems.
Pam Sunday was and is about Jesus coming to our world to bring His transforming love to us and then through us.
Jesus is inviting us to a deep level of love with Him.
He is not satisfied with being separated from you.
He is not satisfied with you being stuck in a separated world view.
Jesus wants to love you in a way that causes you to be connected to Him always.
Activation:
Jesus, is there something you want me to see from Your world view?
Would You help me to fully know how much You love me?
Everyday this week ask Jesus to help you see from a connected world view.
Invite someone to join you for Good Friday worship night or Resurrection Sunday this week.
Other Resources:
25 Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 2 Oh let Israel say, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.” 3 Oh let the house of Aaron say, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.” 4 Oh let those who fear the Lord say, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.” 5 From my distress I called upon the Lord; The Lord answered me and set me in a large place. 6 The Lord is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me? 7 The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me. 8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord Than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord Than to trust in princes.
12 Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.
HOSANNA. The Gk. form of a Heb. term, used at the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (Mt. 21:9, 15; Mk. 11:9; Jn. 12:13). The Heb. consists of the hiphil imperative hôša‘, ‘save’, followed by the enclitic particle of entreaty nā’, sometimes translated ‘pray’, ‘we beseech thee’. It does not occur in the OT except in the longer imperative form hôšî‘â nā’ in Ps. 118:25, where it is followed by the words, also quoted at the triumphal entry, ‘Blessed be he who enters in the name of the Lord.’ Ps. 118 was used in connection with the Feast of Tabernacles, and v. 25 had special significance as a cue for the waving of the branches (lûlaḇ); see Mishnah, Sukkah 3:9; 4:5. But similar expressions of religious enthusiasm were not restricted to the Feast of Tabernacles: 2 Macc. 10:6–7 implies that psalm-singing and branch-waving were part of the festivities at the Feast of Dedication also. We may reasonably assume that the waving of palm-branches and the cries of Hosanna which welcomed Jesus were a spontaneous gesture of religious exuberance, without any reference to a particular festival and without the supplicatory meaning of the original phrase in Ps. 118.
