Palm Sunday 2026

[Intro]

Happy Palm Sunday.

Last year, we spent our time walking through this event and looking at the prophecy and symbolism behind it. We saw how Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey fulfilled prophecy. We saw how the timing aligned perfectly with Passover. We saw how everything pointed to one reality:

Jesus is the promised King.

And that’s important. Because if we don’t understand who Jesus is, nothing else matters.

But this year, I want us to look at the same event… from a different angle.

Not just what happened Not just what it meant prophetically

But what it revealed about the human heart.

Because something incredible and tragic, is happening in this moment.

You have a crowd of people… Praising Jesus. Celebrating Him. Shouting “Hosanna!”

And yet…

Many of those same people will reject Him by the end of the week.

So here’s the question we’re going to wrestle with today:

How can people be this close to Jesus… and still completely miss Him?

[1. The Celebration] (vv. 37–38)

Luke 19:37–38 NLT

37 When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. 38 “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”

As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, the crowd begins to erupt in praise.

They’re shouting:

“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Other Gospel accounts tell us they were crying out “Hosanna!” Which means: “Save us now!”

This is loud. This is emotional. This looks like revival.

And on the surface, everything looks right.

They’re calling Him King. They’re quoting Scripture. They’re publicly honoring Jesus.

If you were standing there watching this moment, you’d probably think:

“This is it. They finally get it.”

But they don’t.

Because while they are saying the right words… They have the wrong expectations.

They want a king—but they want a king who will:

overthrow Rome

fix their circumstances

restore their version of comfort and control

They are looking for physical salvation, not spiritual salvation.

They want Jesus to change their situation… But not necessarily their hearts.

And that’s where the disconnect begins.

Because Jesus did not come to simply make life easier.

He came to deal with sin. He came to go to the cross. He came to bring a kingdom that is not of this world.

[2. The Blindness] (vv. 39–40)

Luke 19:39–40 NLT

39 But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” 40 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

This was prophesied in Zechariah 9:9

Zechariah 9:9 NLT

9 Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.

Now in the middle of all this praise, the Pharisees speak up.

They say:

“Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”

In other words: “Tell them to stop. You are not the Messiah.”

The religious leaders saw what was happening—and they rejected it.

They didn’t want to acknowledge Jesus as King.

And Jesus responds with something powerful:

“I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Don’t miss what He’s saying.

Creation itself recognizes the King.

Isaiah 55:12 NLT

12 You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!

You can also read multiple scriptures in Psalms about all creation worshiping the King of Kings.

If people won’t worship Him… creation will.

So now you have two groups:

The crowd praising Jesus

The Pharisees rejecting Jesus

And here’s what’s important:

Some of both groups are missing Him.

I say some, because within that group of people praising Jesus, I believe some were true believers and some were the ones who would turn on Him later.

The Pharisees miss Him because of pride and unbelief. Part of the crowd misses Him because of misunderstanding and misplaced expectations.

One group is openly resistant. The other is emotionally enthusiastic.

But neither truly understands who Jesus is or why He came.

And that should stop us for a moment.

Because it shows us something uncomfortable:

You can be religious… and miss Jesus. You can be emotional… and miss Jesus. You can be involved… and still miss Jesus.

And this goes right along with what the Apostle Paul wrote about towards the end of his letter in Colossians.

He talked about people looking to mysticism and abstaining from things in an extreme manner to look more holy does not help. It’s not genuine if it’s just for show. That’s what the pharisees were all about. Where is your heart at. That’s the important thing.

[3. The Weeping King] (vv. 41–44)

Luke 19:41–44 NLT

41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. 43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”

Now this is where everything shifts. Because as Jesus draws near to the city… He doesn’t celebrate. He doesn’t join in the excitement.

He weeps.

Think about that.

The crowd is shouting. The disciples are rejoicing. The atmosphere is full of praise.

And Jesus is crying.

Why?

Verse 42:

“How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.”

They were looking at the Prince of Peace… And they didn’t recognize Him.

Verse 44:

“…because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”

In other words:

God showed up… and you missed it.

They had:

the Scriptures

the prophecies

the signs

the miracles

And still… they didn’t see Him for who He truly was.

And Jesus knows what’s coming.

He knows this city will reject Him. He knows judgment will follow. He knows some of the same voices shouting now will soon turn against Him.

And it breaks His heart.

2 Peter 3:9 NLT

9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

God does not want anyone to perish.

[Application – Encouraging Reflection]

As I studied this passage this week, I found myself asking a different kind of question.

Not: “Am I like the crowd in a condemning way?”

But: “Where in my life am I still growing in letting Jesus be King?”

Because if you are in Christ this morning, this passage is not meant to make you afraid.

It’s meant to draw you closer.

The same Jesus who rode into Jerusalem… The same King the crowd was praising…

He is the same King who has already saved you.

And now, He is patiently, graciously working in your life.

That’s what we see in Philippians 2:12–13

Philippians 2:12–13 NLT

12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

God is at work in you. Not just to save you, but to shape and mold you.

So the question becomes:

Where is Jesus continuing to grow my trust in Him?

Because we can all relate to this tension:

We can say: “Jesus, you are my Savior.”

And at the same time still be learning to say: “Jesus, you are Lord over every part of my life.”

Not perfectly. Not all at once. But progressively.

That’s the Christian life.

And Jesus even speaks to this tension directly in Luke 6:46

Luke 6:46 NLT

46 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?

That’s not meant to crush us. It’s meant to lovingly invite us deeper.

To say:

“Trust me more. Follow me more. Let me lead more.”

[Gentle, Personal Reflection]

So instead of asking: “Am I in or out?”

Ask:

Where is Jesus calling me to trust Him more?

Where is He gently leading me to surrender something I’ve been holding onto?

Where do I need to stop just saying “Hosanna”… and start walking in obedience?

Not to earn His love.

But because we already have it.

As Colossians 2:6 says:

“As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”

The same way you came to Him, by faith, is the same way you continue with Him.

Being saved isn’t about proximity to Jesus or external activities. It can be evidence of a saved life. But really It’s about surrender to Jesus. And that comes down to the heart.

That’s why to some of the people, he wept for because they didn’t really believe. He wept for the people that should have known who He truly was and submitted to Him. But then the least expected person, the thief on the cross, submitted to Christ in his last moments. From the Jews to the thief, it was all about where there heart was.

[Gospel Encouragement]

And here’s what makes Palm Sunday so powerful and so encouraging:

Jesus knew. He knew the crowd didn’t fully understand. He knew many would turn away. He knew the cross was coming.

And He still came.

He still rode into Jerusalem.

He still went forward.

Why?

Because His mission was never dependent on perfect people. It was driven by perfect love.

As we’re reminded in Romans 5:8

“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

[Closing – Hopeful and Strong]

So Palm Sunday is an invitation.

An invitation to:

See Jesus clearly

Trust Him more deeply

Follow Him more fully

Not out of fear… But out of joy.

Because the King who entered Jerusalem in humility… Is the same King who went to the cross for you.

And the same King who rose again.

And one day, as Philippians 2:9–11 tells us,

Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

So today, we join the crowd—but in a fuller way.

Not just saying: “Hosanna—save us.”

But also saying:

“Jesus, you are King… and I trust you with my life.”