Palm Sunday - The Triumphal Entry

Today is Palm Sunday, one of the most significant days of the church calendar. And I think it’s fitting to remind ourselves that as we worship this morning here in our church we are part of a worldwide celebration, one that has been repeated every year for twenty centuries. In other words, this is not a local event. As we observe this special day, we are united with millions of congregations all over the world, all of them commemorating our Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the end of his earthly ministry.

It was only a short journey, Jesus riding into the city on the back of a donkey. It probably lasted less than an hour. There was no parade, no marching band, no military escort. But for two millennia, that journey has been remembered by every branch of the church, whether Protestant, or Catholic, or Orthodox. We share this day with our Christian brothers and sisters in other nations, and languages, and cultures. Not only that, we share it with those of prior ages, those who came before us, and those who will come after us as well. And so this morning we are a part of something far larger than ourselves.

Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is important, not only because it stands at the beginning of Holy Week, not only because it set in motion a chain of events leading to his crucifixion and resurrection, but also because it communicates vital spiritual truths in its own right. It reveals crucial information about Christ, and about God's plan for his people. In fact, we cannot fully understand the days of Holy Week, including Good Friday and Easter Sunday, unless we first grasp the significance of this day, Palm Sunday.

And so this morning, I'd like to invite you to explore what this day means to you and I as followers of Jesus Christ. Let’s begin by reading from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 21, verses 1-11. The Scripture verses are printed on an insert in your bulletin.

“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“Say to Daughter Zion,

‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem at the beginning of Passover week, he was hailed by the people as a conquering hero, like a king entering his city. As we read this passage, we can picture the crowds waving palm branches and throwing down their coats for him to pass over. Huge crowds of people—thousands, tens of thousands — lining the roadways, spilling out into the fields, filling the streets of the city as he entered the gates, all chanting “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!” We can hear the cheering and the shouts of acclamation – "Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!"

What a thrilling scene that must have been! Imagine how the disciples must have felt as they walked with Christ in the midst of all this – what rejoicing; what excitement and exultation. Christ was being hailed as king, as messiah, as savior. Everything they had been anticipating for three long years was coming to pass! Surely, it was now only a matter of time until their master took his rightful place as the ruler of his people, and they, the Twelve, took their places at his side.

Yes, when Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he was at the height of his popularity. After three years of public ministry, he had established himself as a respected leader: a miracle-worker and a healer, a teacher and a sage, a courageous opponent of the corrupt religious establishment, and a man of compassion, strength, and wisdom. The people loved him. He was mobbed by huge crowds wherever he went. People hung on his every word. They sought his advice. They begged to be allowed to follow him. And they came to him for deliverance—deliverance from disease and injuries, deliverance from demonic oppression, deliverance from every kind of physical and psychological suffering.