The Triumphal Entry. Palm Sunday, it’s all about Jesus
As Jesus began to speak openly about the suffering that lay ahead of Him. He also spoke about what it means to follow Him. Discipleship is not simply about admiration from a distance. Jesus invites those who follow Him to walk the same path of surrender and trust. “To take up the cross,” it is to place His will above your own—to choose obedience, humility, and love even when that way forward is costly.
- In this sense, following Christ becomes a daily practice. Each day offers new opportunities to turn away from self-centered ambitions and toward a life shaped by His example.
- As we move closer to Holy Week, Jesus’ words invite us not only to observe His journey to the cross, but to walk with Him.
When Jesus calls His followers to take up the cross, He is inviting them into a life shaped by His own example—one marked by humility, obedience, and love for others. This kind of discipleship rarely appears dramatic. More often it takes shape in ordinary choices: serving quietly, forgiving freely, and trusting God’s purposes even when the path is difficult.
The Triumphal Entry: marking Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday one week before his crucifixion, is recorded in all four Gospels: Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, Luke 19:28–44, and John 12:12–Jesus rode into the city on a donkey’s colt, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, while crowds cheered “Hosanna,” placed cloaks, and spread palm branches in his path. “Hosanna”:This Hebrew word, used by the crowd, means “please save us”.
Fun fact: Something rarely people think about. According to the 1st-century historian Flavius Josephus, over 256,000 lambs were sacrificed during a single Passover in Jerusalem around this time of Christ. This immense number reflects the large population of pilgrims, with Josephus estimating that over 2.5 million people partook, requiring one lamb for every ten people. Consequently, when Jesus entered the city He must have done so surrounded by lambs, Himself being the greatest of lambs.”
Key Scripture References:
- Matthew 21:1–11: Highlights the fulfillment of prophecy, noting Jesus as a humble king riding a donkey.
- Mark 11:1–11: Focuses on the disciples finding the colt and the crowds shouting “Hosanna!”.
- Luke 19:28–44: Records Jesus weeping over Jerusalem and details the joyful praise of the disciples as he descends to the Mount of Olives.
- John 12:12–19: Emphasizes the use of palm branches and the crowd identifying Jesus as the King of Israel.
Background and Significance:
- Prophecy Fulfillment: This event fulfilled Zechariah 9:9, which predicted the Messiah would arrive riding on a donkey, symbolizing peace rather than war.
- Timing: The entry occurred on the Sunday before Passover, aligning with the day when lambs were selected for sacrifice, as noted in Exodus 12.
- The Crowd’s Recognition: The multitude recognized Jesus as the Son of David (The Messiah) and King of Israel.
Matthew 21:1-11 New King James Version
1 Now, when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.
3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
- Jesus would ride upon the younger of these animals, the colt. He told the disciples how they would find these animals.
- He instructed them to bring both animals. This is very interesting, this is the only place in scripture that says there’s two animals. The donkey and her colt. Mark, Luke and John don’t even mention the donkey, just the colt. Mark says a colt that has never been sat on before. Can you imagine what a rodeo this could have been.
- I believe the donkey was used to lead the colt to help keep him calm. Remember we’re going to see four perspectives on the very same event. It’s like four witnesses seeing a train wreck, all see it a little differently, from a different angle or position.
Matthew 21:4-11
4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
- Here, Jesus deliberately worked to fulfill prophecy, especially the prophecy of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks, which many feel Jesus fulfilled to the exact day on His triumphal entry (Daniel 9:24-27).
6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.
7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.
8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
- “The act of spreading out the garment was one of recognition, loyalty and promise of support. “Carrying palm and other branches was symbolic, of victory and success.
9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!”
- This was open Messianic adoration of Jesus. They look to Jesus for salvation (Hosanna means “save now!” and was addressed to kings, as in 2 Samuel 14:4 and 2 Kings 6:26). They openly give Jesus the titles appropriate for the Messiah (Son of David… He who comes in the name of the LORD)
10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”
- Meanwhile, inside the city there was bewilderment as to His identity. Those who asked were told only that He was Jesus the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. From this it seems that few really understood He was the Messiah. In less than a week, the fickle crowd would be crying, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
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Mark 11:1-11 New King James Version
1 Now, when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples;
2 and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it.
3 And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.”
4 So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it.
5 But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?”
6 And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So, they let them go.
7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it.
8 And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9 Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Mark 11:10-11
10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
11 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So, when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.
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Luke 19:29-44 New King James Version
29 And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples,
30 saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here.
31 And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’ ”
32 So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them.
33 But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?”
34 And they said, “The Lord has need of him.”
35 Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.
36 And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.
37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen,
- Their praise was filled with remembrance. They remembered all the mighty works they saw Jesus do such as the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 12:17-18). They told of the great things God had done in their life
Luke 19:38-44
38 saying: “ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”
40 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”
41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,
- This was a deeply moving moment for Jesus. His tears were not for His own fate in Jerusalem, but for the fate of the city itself. “Wept might be rendered ‘wailed’; Jesus burst into sobbing as he lamented lost opportunity.” (Morris) Wept in Greek is “eklausen” this term signifies weeping audibly, sobbing, or lamenting, indicating intense emotional sorrow rather than just silently shedding.
42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side,
44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
- Jesus gave a solemn preview of the siege of Titus—how that Roman general will surround the city.
- Trap the inhabitants, massacre both young and old, and level the walls and buildings. Some 40 years after Jesus. Not one stone would be left upon another. And it was all because Jerusalem did not know the time of its visitation. The Lord had visited the city with the offer of salvation. But the people did not want Him. They had no room for Him in their scheme of things. Is this any different for us today? Just think for a minute, today is the of day of our visitation, today is the day to realize we are living in the last days of the church age, Jesus is COMING! To retrieve His church. Ya,Ya Pastor I’ve been hearing that for all my life. We find ourselves more concerned about finishing my boat before summer. It’s not a bad thing to have a boat, I hope you ask to take me out in it. But if our plans keep us from studying God’s Word, or it keeps our mind so occupied we’re not concerned about the day of the Lord, is today that day? You may be thinking, I’ve been a Christian for a long time now, I’m OK, right? I want to think so.
- We have no idea (for the most part) that we are living in the most incredible Biblical times throughout all of history, right now! But we’re not paying attention.
- Like the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30) is a New Testament story where a master entrusts servants with money—five, two, and one talent respectively—according to their abilities before departing. It teaches the necessity of actively using, investing, and multiplying God-given gifts and responsibilities rather than burying them out of fear, with faithful servants rewarded and unproductive one is punished upon the master’s return, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!”
- Or The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) teaches the necessity of spiritual readiness for Christ’s return. Five wise virgins brought extra oil for their lamps, while five foolish ones did not. When the bridegroom was delayed, the foolish lacked oil and were locked out of the wedding feast
John 12:12-19 New King James Version
12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 took 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!”
- “From the time of the Maccabees palms or palm-branches had been used as a national symbol. Palm-branches figured in the procession which celebrated the rededication of the temple in 164 BC (2 Maccabees 10:7) and again when the winning of full political independence was celebrated under Simon in 141 BC.
- Later, palms appeared as national symbols on the coins struck by the Judean insurgents during the first and second revolts against Rome.
- The Maccabees were a priestly family and a group of Jewish freedom fighters who led a successful revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE, reclaiming the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and establishing the Hasmonean dynasty.
- Led by Mattathias and his son Judah (the Hammer), they fought against Hellenistic assimilation, with their victory commemorated by the holiday of Hanukkah.
John 12:14-16
14 Then 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.”
- “Fear not, daughter of Zion” is a biblical phrase, appearing in John 12:15 and Zechariah 9:9, directing Jerusalem to cease from fear and rejoice because their king is arriving humbly on a donkey, not as a conqueror.
16 His 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.
- This was a great day for the disciples. They were leading the people in the shouts and singing. Jesus had made it clear to all of them what was about to happen but, they couldn’t hear at least right now. But soon Jesus would be glorified (crucified) and they will remember all the things He said.
- This was the largest crowd that came for the greatest holidays of Judaism — Passover.
John 12:17-19
17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness.
18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.
19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”
- The Pharisees were lost. They were stuck in the law and not willing to give it up.
- There are many religious people today sitting in churches around the world that will not be taken up in the rapture. Some won’t even realize we’re gone. Why? Like the Pharisees religion gets in the way.
I have to do everything in my power as your pastor not to let that happen to anyone with in the sound of my voice. I can’t question your salvation; I can only try to get you to question your own. How’s your relationship with Jesus?
Matthew 21:12-13 New King James Version
12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”