The Triumphal Entry

When I was a child I remember hearing a friend describe how in their church, on Palm Sunday, everyone was given a palm branch as they walked into the chapel and then they got to wave it. I remember thinking that my friend's church must be cooler than my church.

Don't worry (or get your hopes up), we won't be handing out palm branches on Sunday morning. But we will join the multitudes throughout history in praising Jesus, the Messiah and the Son of David, who entered Jerusalem to deliver His people by being our Passover lamb.

The triumphal entry is one of the few events which is recorded in all four gospels. This event also looks back to Psalm 118, from which the crowds were quoting as they cried, “Hosanna!”, and to Zechariah, who foretold a King of peace Who would ride on a donkey.

We will first go through Psalm 118 to see how the psalmist reflected upon:

1. God's past deliverance through Moses (which is remembered in the Passover which was about to be celebrated).

2. God's present deliverance (when the Psalm was written) through the king of Israel.

3. God's future deliverance through the Messiah (which was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus).

Then we will expound John 12:9-19 in order to consider and evaluate the different perspectives on Jesus' prophecy fulfilling entry into Jerusalem – the crowds, the Jewish leaders, and Jesus Himself.

Please read Psalm 118 and John 12:9-19 before coming to church on Sunday morning. You also would profit from reading Zechariah 9:9-11.