From Palm Sunday to Good Friday: Welcoming the King into Your Life Through His Death
How many of us went to church on Palm Sunday?
Did you picture yourself among the crowds gathered in Jerusalem back then, laying palm branches and cloaks on the road, shouting praises to Jesus?
As it is recounted in the Bible, the hearts of the people were full of hope, expectation, and national pride. They saw Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah who would overthrow Roman rule and restore Israel’s glory. But the King they welcomed was not the King they expected.
Matthew 21:8–9 (NKJV) says, "And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 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!'"
“Hosanna” means “save now.” I did not know that. Did you?
They were crying out for salvation, but what they had in mind was political deliverance.
However, Jesus entered not on a warhorse, but on a donkey, symbolizing peace and humility. I did not know that’s what the donkey symbolized as well. I’m learning some more today. Jesus, He came not to conquer Rome, but to conquer sin and death.
The people’s expectations clashed with God’s plan.
Isaiah 55:8–9 (NKJV) reminds us, ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’”
Just a few days later, the same crowd that shouted “Hosanna” would shout “Crucify Him!” Oh how quickly some people turn against their brother or sister or friend!
These people didn’t understand that welcoming the King meant embracing His path—the path of the cross.
Luke 23:21 (NKJV) records, "But they shouted, saying, 'Crucify Him, crucify Him!'"
From Palm Sunday to Good Friday - deeply connected.
The triumphal entry and the crucifixion are not two separate events. Jesus entered Jerusalem to die. His glory would be revealed not through a throne but through a cross.
And that is why today, though Palm Sunday has passed and today is Good Friday, we can link them both to help us to understand the significance of our broad theme: From Wilderness to Resurrection.
Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV) says, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."
It is important for us to understand, Family, that welcoming Jesus as King means accepting His mission. It means recognizing that His death wasn’t a defeat—it was the plan. It was the victory.
By accepting the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, we receive salvation, healing, and peace.
Romans 5:8 (NKJV) declares, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
So, let’s bring it home. How do we welcome Jesus into our lives today? With total surrender. Not just with words or ceremony. We welcome Jesus into our lives with faith in His finished work on the cross. We welcome Jesus into our lives by letting Him rule—not just in the good moments, but even in the hard ones.
Galatians 2:20 (NKJV) says, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
From Palm Sunday to Good Friday, we are invited to follow Jesus, not just in praise, but in obedience. To welcome the King is to welcome His way.
And this holistic approach is a good thing, highly recommended, because we know that His way leads us through the cross to resurrection, from death to life.
aub - 18Apr25
https://www.youtube.com/live/E3IdwcfYWiU?si=NARftryPBZdJ_SVs
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