Palm Sunday

 

March 29, 2026

 

Matthew 26.14-27.66

 

+ All through Lent I have said that following Jesus is hard.

 Following him in the good times is great actually.

 But following him when things are hard and difficult is something else.

 Today we get the full gamut of what it means to follow Jesus.

 As Jesus enters Jerusalem, the people are shouting and cheering.  

 They are singing “Hosanna!”

 They wave palms.

 They celebrate Jesus as a king.

 But this is not the kind of king they expect.

 He is not a despot.

 He’s not a warmonger.

 He’s not a conceited, self-centered fool.

 He doesn’t come into Jerusalem on a proud war horse.

 He comes on a simple donkey.

 He does not come with power and weapons.

 He comes in humility and peace.

 Even at the beginning, something is different.

 From a distance, this looks like a victory parade.

 It’s easy to follow Jesus now.

 But we know where this story is going.

 The same crowd that shouts “Hosanna!” will soon turn on him.

 They will soon cry out “Crucify him!”

 Suddenly following Jesus is not so wonderful.

 And from our perspective, this turn of events can feel terrible.

 But if we are honest, it is also very human.

 We are all capable of praise and rejection, hope and fear, love and betrayal, sometimes all at once.

 Palm Sunday is not just about being the follower of Jesus observing the crowd as a spectator.

 We sometimes part of the crowd too.

 We too can turn on a dime in our emotions and reactions.

 We too can speak out of both side of our mouths.

 As for Jesus, he know when he enters Jerusalem what is going to  happen.

 He doesn’t turn away.

 He doesn’t protect himself.

 He just keeps going.

 Why?

 Because his way is not about power over others.

 His way is now about proving who he is and what he is.

 His way is not about being the most powerful, the richest, the stongest, the winner.

 His way is about love.

 A love that refuses to give up.

 Even when it is costly.

 Even when it is rejected.

 Following Jesus means following him even here, in this moment of rejected love.

 Jesus shows us a different kind of leadership---a different kind of strength.

 It’s not about domination, but rather compassion.

 It’s not about control, but rather service to others.

 It’s not about violence, but rather self-giving love.

 Jesus aligns himself with the vulnerable, the overlooked, the ones who suffer under systems of power.

 And he refuses to play the game those systems demand.

 Palm Sunday asks us a simple but hard question:

 What kind of kingdom are we looking for?

 Are we hoping for something that keeps us comfortable and in control?

 Or are we willing to follow Jesus into a way of love that disrupts injustice and stands with those who are hurting?

 This Holy Week will take us through some dark places, places we don’t want to go.

 This Holy Week will take us into places of betrayal, violence, and death.

 And following Jesus through that is the most difficult aspect of our faith.

 But this Holy Week will also show us the depth of God’s love.

 A love that does not abandon us.

 A love that walks with us into suffering.

 A love that refuses to let death have the final word.

 Following Jesus also means following him beyond the cross to that place in which we truly experience the real depths of God’s all-encompassing love.

 So today, yes,  we are waving our palms.

 But we also preparing our hearts.

 We are following Jesus, not just in celebration, but in courage.

 Not just in comfort, but in compassion.

 Not just in words, but in the way we live our lives.

 This is what truly matters.

 Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.

 Hosanna.

 Amen.