The King Who Came For You - Palm Sunday And The Call To Follow Jesus Series

The King Who Came for You - Palm Sunday and the Call to Follow Jesus

Today we come to one of the most sacred, striking, and deeply moving moments in the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ: Palm Sunday.

This is not merely a story about crowds, cloaks, branches, and celebration. This is not merely the beginning of Holy Week in the church calendar. Palm Sunday is the public presentation of Jesus Christ as King. It is the moment when heaven’s King rides into earth’s rebellion—not on a war horse, but on a donkey; not with a sword in His hand, but with salvation in His heart; not to crush sinners, but to be crushed for them.

And if we are truly disciples of Jesus, then Palm Sunday confronts us with a searching question: What kind of King are we willing to follow?

Do we want a King who serves our agenda, or do we bow before the King who came to save us from our sin?

So today I want to preach on this theme: The King Who Came for You

Our key text is found in Luke 19:28–44, and we will draw supporting light from the other Gospel accounts and prophetic Scriptures.

Introduction: When the Crowd Gets It Almost Right

There is something deeply revealing about a crowd.

Crowds can be loud without being surrendered.

Crowds can be excited without being transformed.

Crowds can sing the right words and still miss the true King standing before them.

Palm Sunday is a day of praise, but it is also a day of exposure. It reveals the beauty of Christ, but it also reveals the instability of the human heart. The same city that welcomed Him with cries of worship would soon echo with cries for His death.

And is that not still true in the 21st century? We live in a culture that likes Jesus in fragments. A Jesus of inspiration. A Jesus of kindness. A Jesus of justice language. A Jesus of seasonal symbolism. A Jesus who fits neatly into social media captions and sentimental religion. But the real Jesus does not come to decorate our lives. He comes to rule them. He does not come merely to improve us. He comes to redeem us. He does not come asking for applause. He comes demanding repentance and faith.

Palm Sunday teaches us that Jesus is the promised King, the humble King, the saving King, and the rejected King—and every true disciple must respond accordingly.

Luke 19:28–40 (NLT): “After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. ‘Go into that village over there,’ he told them. ‘As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, “Why are you untying that colt?” just say, “The Lord needs it.”’

So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’

And the disciples simply replied, ‘The Lord needs it.’

So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on. As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him.

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.

‘Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!’

But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, ‘Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!’

He replied, ‘If they kept quiet, the stones would burst into cheers!’”

And let us also read the solemn continuation, Luke 19:41–44 (NLT): “But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. ‘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. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 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.’”

This is the Word of the Lord.

Palm Sunday is triumph wrapped in tears. Praise fills the air, yet grief fills the heart of Christ. Why? Because the King is welcomed by mouths, but not received by hearts.