OPENING STATEMENT:

Palm Sunday is not just a celebration it is a confrontation.

It confronts our expectations of who Jesus is…

It confronts our understanding of victory…

And it confronts the condition of our hearts…

OPENING SCRIPTURE: Luke 19:28-44 NIV

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

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

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

This is not a random journey. It is a divine appointment with sacrifice, redemption and salvation.

What was Passover?

In Exodus 12, right before leaving Egypt, the blood of a sacrificed lamb was placed on the doorposts. Judgment came, it would “pass over” every house covered by the blood.

Why Did Jesus Choose That Exact Day?

Jesus chose that day, Passover, intentionally because He was the fulfillment of everything Passover represented.

Jesus is not just walking in to a city…He is walking into His purpose, His sacrifice for our salvation.

#1: The Road Reveals The Kind of King Jesus is?

About 500 years before Jesus made that road trip to Jerusalem, Prophet Zachariah wrote about it.

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. (Zechariah 9:9 NLT)

Jesus was not just fulfilling prophecy, He was redefining what it means to be King. A king who brings humility.

Why was humility important?

• Humility shows that Jesus is approachable, not distant.
• Humility invites relationships, it removes fear.

What does walk in humility mean to us?

• Humility means surrender our position. Humility means Christ lifted up.

PRACTICAL: Where do I need to step down so that Christ can be lifted up?

Why was righteous important?

• Only a righteous King could become a worthy sacrifice.

What does live in righteousness mean to us?

• To live in righteousness does not mean perfection. It means to live in alignment with a perfect God.

PRACTICAL: Is my life consistent with what I say I believe?

Why was victorious important?

• The prophecy declared Jesus victorious even before the battle begins.

What does stand in victory mean to us?

• It means you don’t fight for victory – you fight from victory.

PRACTICAL: Am I living from victory – striving for it?

#2: The Road Requires a Response of Surrender

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. (Luke 19:35-36 NIV)

• The disciples placed their coats on the donkey as a sign of surrender.
• For the disciples that was a personal and intentional surrender.
• Now the people seeing what the disciples did also did the same thing,

But here’s the difference: One was rooted in relationship and the other was driven by expectation

PRACTICAL: We need to move from occasional to daily surrender.

offer your bodies as a LIVING SACRIFICE, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1 NIV)

• True worship means total surrender- Mind, will and emotions (Soul), Body and Spirit.

#3: The Road Exposes the Condition of the Heart

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it (Luke 19:41 NIV)

• Jesus sees the crowd praising Him – but also sees their hearts far from Him.

Why did Jesus weep?

• They wanted a Savior – but not the kind He came to be.

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Matthew 15:8 NIV)

PRACTICAL: Will our heart still follow Him when the road gets hard?

The road to Jerusalem does not just reveal who Jesus is…it reveals who we are!

CONCLUSION

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?