Palm Sunday: The Road to Easter | John 12:12-16 & 18:33–37
This message was preached at Sherwood Community Friends Church on March 24, 2024. It is adapted from content from Skit Guys. You can watch the video in full by clicking below.
Turn in your Bibles to John 12.
At the end of the video, Eddie shouts, “Jesus is my king!” But as he pointed out in the video, this is a conscious choice that we make. Not just about Jesus as king in our lives, but whatever we choose to allow to take us over, whatever we give power to…that is what we have named king of our lives.
Jesus was a rabbi, a teacher. But we see the people’s response to his entry into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday. This was a kingly entrance.
Let’s read John’s telling of this in John 12, starting in verse 12.
The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:
“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
The King of Israel!”
14Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:
15“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
Behold, your King is coming,
Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
16His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.
What a scene! There was a lot of shouting going on, drawing attention.
“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
The King of Israel!”
The people were crazy with excitement. They were anticipating something amazing: a new king. We see this in a few ways here.
What is the significance of the palm branches? That wasn’t just an idea someone had that day. Palm branches were often used to celebrate victory; in King David’s time, they honored royalty. This history and use of palm branches makes a perfect connection to the idea that they saw Jesus as a King.
Psalm 92 correlates palm trees with righteousness - Tzedakah - a theme we see in partnership with justice - mishpat - in the Old Testament.
Psalm 92:12-13 - “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.”
We also see in Leviticus the importance of palm fronds in acts of worship and rest to the Lord.
Leviticus 23:39-40 - “You are to celebrate the Lord’s festival on the fifteenth day of the seventh month for seven days after you have gathered the produce of the land. There will be complete rest on the first day and complete rest on the eighth day.
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.
And, when the battle is won, and we are gathered together around the throne of God, we will worship together with these symbolic palm branches with those from across the globe and across time.
Revelation 7:9 - After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands.
We also hear the shouting of “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” In essence, Hosanna means save us, liberate us, and give us favor. Its Hebraic origin, “Yasha,” means to "liberate us" or "save us from battle."
Psalm 118:25 - “Lord, save us! Lord, please grant us success!”
Hosanna.
The plea in John from the crowds is a call to God to bring a king to save His people. At this time, they were living under the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire, and similar to their ancestors in Egypt, they were looking for freedom.
But when we look at Christ's triumphal entry, we see a crowd of people who ALMOST get it right. They are right to celebrate Jesus as king. He is indeed going to liberate them.
Isaiah 61:1-3 -
“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to heal[a] the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and freedom to the prisoners;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of our God’s vengeance;
to comfort all who mourn,
3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion;
to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
festive oil instead of mourning,
and splendid clothes instead of despair.[b]
And they will be called righteous trees,
planted by the Lord
to glorify him.
However, John reminds us that even "His disciples did not understand these things at first.” They, along with the crowd, thought Jesus would liberate the Israelites from Rome.
But God’s plan has always been bigger than the government systems of this world.
In their lack of understanding of what Jesus would do, they also misunderstood what kind of king Jesus was.
Kings of that day were known for the fear they struck in people’s hearts. They were known for destroying anyone who might threaten them. They were known for the number of enemies they had slain.
We see this in their own history too. Just look at 1 Samuel 18:7, which says, “As they danced, the women sang: Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands.”
But that is not the kind of king Jesus is. Revelation tells us Jesus is the “King of kings.” That is, there is no king above him nor any king that can take his throne from him.
We cannot fully grasp what King Jesus is like, but looking closer at some of the words he spoke and his actions during that original holy week, maybe we can get a better understanding.
First
Jesus Is A Humble King
When you picture a king riding into town, what comes to mind?
More than likely, you envision someone in an ornate carriage, possibly decorated and painted with gold. You may envision a king riding on a mighty horse wearing his battle gear and crown as the horse seems to march down the street as if they, too, were noble.
That is not King Jesus. We read, “Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it.” A donkey. Have you ever seen someone ride a donkey?
It does not say “majestic,” “cool,” or “mighty.” It is hard to ride a donkey and look noble and mighty.
Make no mistake: Jesus is mighty; he is the most noble. Jesus is worthy of all praise and honor and glory. However, King Jesus projected humility on that day. Jesus valued humility over every other characteristic that someone can display.
In fact, on the last night he was with his followers, Jesus said these words:
For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn’t it the one at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. Luke 22:27
Jesus always deserves to be at the head of the table. Yet, as Robert spoke on last week, he chose to serve his disciples, even the night before his death by washing their feet, as an act of humility and service.
This position of humility is not associated with strength in the world's view, but that doesn't mean it's a weakness. Our culture’s emphasis on pride, self-honor, and fame leads to the misconception of humility as a weakness. The root of pride, self-honor, and seeking fame is a lack of truly knowing who you are. A lack of identity.
Jesus did not have this problem. He was well aware of who he was. He knew that at any point, he could call down angels, put people in their place, and demand loyalty from others. But he didn’t play his God card.
Because Jesus is a humble king.
Jesus Is A King Of Peace
It might be easier to say that Jesus is a “peaceful king.” It just rolls off the tongue easier. It sounds better than “Jesus is a king of peace.”
However, Jesus let us know that he was not a peaceful king. He would tell his followers, “For I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. Matthew 10:35–36
So, we don’t really get to say Jesus is a peaceful king.
Just as it is easy to see Jesus’ humility as weakness, it is easy to see his peace as softness. Let’s not make that mistake. Jesus is anything but soft. He was not soft with the religious leaders or the political leaders in the gospels. He was not soft with his disciples at times. Just ask Peter about the time Jesus called him “Satan.”
Or talk with the merchants who had their tables flipped over in the temple courtyard.
Or the Pharisees when he calls them a brood of vipers.
Or the woman who was caught in adultery, whom he spared, and told her “Go and sin no more.”
One of my favorite quotes is “Clarity is Kindness.” Jesus was clear with whomever he came in contact with for the sake of love, kindness, and, yes, peace.
Jesus is a king who provides peace to his followers. During that very first holy week, on his last night with his disciples, Jesus told them:
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful. John 14:27
Kings do not say, “I give you.” Kings say, “You give me,” as they took taxes, land, and anything else they wanted from the people. Kings did not say, “Do not be afraid.” Kings used fear as a tool to get their subjects to obey them. They expect their pawns to bow to them.
We see people in powerful positions wielding fear against us today. In fact, this is an election year and we will be bombarded with messages of fear unless we vote for the “right” person, whatever that means.
But King Jesus says, “I give you peace.” He even helps us understand that the peace he gives is of ultimate value. His peace cannot be found in this world. His peace is not circumstantial; it is an internal and eternal peace, free of distraction.
The apostle Paul would say that the peace Jesus gives “passes all understanding.” In a world that has always and is always lacking peace, we can hold fast to the fact that Jesus is a king of peace.
Jesus Is A Compassionate King
Have you ever considered the compassion of Jesus? In our “selfie-focused society,” compassion isn’t something we tend to gravitate towards.
Compassion is the act of feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others. Jesus didn’t just show compassion; he was filled with compassion. In the gospel of Luke’s account just after the triumphal entry, we read these words:
As he approached and saw the city, he wept for it, 42 saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.” Luke 19:41–42
Do not overlook these words, “He wept for it.” His heart was full of compassion as he looked upon this holy city, knowing how deeply he loved each one who would welcome him yet also knowing what was before him in just a few days.
Jesus has just finished riding in the “King Jesus” parade. It seems as if everyone but the religious leaders have joined Team Jesus. And instead of basking in the excitement, Jesus is weeping aloud, expressing uncontrollable, audible grief. Why?
He understands what everyone else does not understand.
This parade that has just concluded, which looks like a victory celebration, was actually a king riding into battle.
He knows that in less than a week, most of these people will turn on him. He knows that only one of those men called disciples will be at the foot of the cross as he is dying for them. He knows that the victory of war will come, but only after what seems like defeat to everyone else.
So he weeps. For himself? No. That is not what the scriptures tell us. It says, “He wept over it.” That is, he wept over Jerusalem. The capital city of God’s people. He weeps because collectively they do not know what will bring them peace. He weeps because they are confused as to what is about to happen.
I believe that Jesus’ looks over our world today and weeps. We, too, are confused most days as to what is happening, what’s the right way, what’s the way of the King. We come with our ideas of and expectations of victory.
Jesus is not a king who sits back and watches us stoically, observing like a callus overseer. No, Jesus is a compassionate king, full of emotion and love for His Father’s creation.
In This World, Not Of This World
Jesus would clarify his kingship and kingdom as he spoke with Pilate right before heading to the cross to battle for our souls.
Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about me?”
35 “I’m not a Jew, am I?” Pilate replied. “Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”
36 “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is,[d] my kingdom is not from here.”
37 “You are a king then?” Pilate asked.
“You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” John 18:33–37
Can we listen to the words of Jesus today and take them to heart? Will I stand on the edge of a cliff and shout, “Jesus is my king!”?
We still must answer the question Jesus asked Pilate,
“Is that your own idea? Or did others talk to you about me?” What Jesus is asking here is, “Am I your king, or are you just saying that because someone else told you to?”
If Jesus is my king, then I am his subject. That is, I listen to him, I follow him, I trust him. I turn over my allegiance to him. I swear to none other than his name and all he stands for.
Over the centuries, much has been done in the name of King Jesus, both good and bad. There have always been those who seek to make the Kingdom of Jesus about this world. However, Jesus said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.”
He goes on to say, “My kingdom is from another place.” Jesus did not come to establish an earthly kingdom. Isaiah 66:1 says, “This is what the Lord says: Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. The kingdom of Jesus is not of this world.
However, it is in this world. As followers of Jesus, we are citizens of heaven, living on earth. We live in the tension of the now but not yet. Jesus would pray this for his followers the night before he went to the cross:
I have given them your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. John 17:14–15
Jesus says we are not of this world. Why? Again, because we are citizens of heaven. We are subjects to King Jesus. If we are not careful, we will stop there and do everything we can to escape the world.
But don’t miss what else Jesus prayed, “My prayer is not that you take them out of this world.” He is not calling us out of the world. I hear Christians who long for Jesus’ return because of the darkness of this world.
This is not what Jesus asks of us. He is calling us to be in this world but not of this world. He is asking the Father to protect us from the evil one so that we can serve him faithfully while we are in this world.
The apostle Paul would write, “We are Christ's ambassadors” in 2 Corinthians 5:20. We get to spend our lives representing King Jesus in this world. And what does an ambassador do? An ambassador represents its ruling authority in their wishes and expectations. They act on behalf of the one they represent.
As ambassadors of King Jesus, we have the duty and opportunity to put him on display by choosing to live like him as best we can. We choose to be the humble people of the world looking for an opportunity to serve rather than being served. We choose to be the peace-bearers to the world, fighting for unity rather than demanding our way. We choose to be the most compassionate people, allowing ourselves to weep for what breaks the heart of God the Father.
Jesus is reaching out his hand and asking if you will be his ambassador, a full representative of himself. You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need to shout it from a cliff. He invites you to live as he does, choosing to emulate his humility, peace, and compassion. Living in these ways will be heard much louder than a shout from the mountaintop anyway.
