When nobody else shows up, we can stand firm, trusting that God will show up for us. Louie Giglio re-tells the story of Palm Sunday and, in this account, highlights Jesus’ resolution and determination to fulfill the prophecy of laying His life down for us.
Key Takeaway
Palm Sunday reminds us that when it mattered most, Jesus showed up.
It's Palm Sunday, and the journey of Holy Week started two miles away in Bethany, heading into Jerusalem.
It was Passover, a celebration of the moment when God delivered His people out of Egypt. The blood of lambs was spread over the doorposts of homes so that the angel of death would pass over those who trusted in God's provision. For centuries, people celebrated Passover and came to Jerusalem from all over the world.
It was at this moment that Jesus appeared riding into the city.
They weren't at the cross yet, but resurrection was in the air following Lazarus' return from the dead.
But Jesus, in the midst of it all, knew that praise and resurrection were in the air. He knew that Passover was on the cards, and He knew what He had come to do.
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.
The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Blessed is the king of Israel!”
John 12:9-13
The crowd had no idea what was in God's plan or heart. They had no idea that this King had come to lay down his life.
Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”
At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.
Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
John 12:14-19
There was a massive crowd and big momentum. Lots of energy was focused on this powerful, miracle-working Jesus. But Jesus had His eyes on something far greater—the fulfillment of prophecies.
The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears; I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.
Isaiah 50:4-7
He had his eyes set like flint on God's mission. At this moment, he was resolved and determined to show up at the right place at the right time to do what only He could do.
As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
Luke 9:51
God showed up for us.
Most of us have a moment or several moments when someone didn't show up for us. Maybe it was a friend, family member, or spouse. Maybe someone consistently hasn't shown up for you. But on Palm Sunday, the celebration was that Jesus was showing up and entering Jerusalem with a resolute determination like a flint to do what only He can do for you.
We're celebrating that God valued us so much that when it mattered most, Jesus showed up.
As we contemplate this cross before us and celebrate all that it means, it will seep down into the inside of our being, and we can grasp the reality that Jesus showed up no matter what has or hasn't been.
Jesus was coming to say that God loves you, values you, and is for you and not against you. Your life matters to God. Jesus came to glorify God and to show you how much you matter to God.
God could have jumped on the wave of adoration and praise, yet instead, He had His mind fixed on fulfilling this prophecy for us.
"My great object is to lead you to love him who so loved you that he set his face like a flint in his determination to save you. O ye redeemed ones, on whose behalf this strong resolve was made, — ye who have been bought by the precious blood of this steadfast, resolute Redeemer, come and think awhile of him, that your hearts may burn within you, and that your faces may be set like flints to live and die for him who lived and died for you!" - Charles Spurgeon
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Let's pray.
Holy Spirit, awaken me to Jesus's determination to be faithful to the very end and to the cost of following Him. Amen.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think the crowd welcomed Jesus with such celebration, and yet later, many would turn away?
- How does the story of Lazarus add to the significance of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem?
- What does it mean that Jesus “set His face like flint” toward Jerusalem? How does that speak to His character?
- How does Palm Sunday challenge our ideas about strength, humility, and leadership?
- Have you ever felt like someone important didn’t show up for you? How does Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem speak into that place of hurt?
- How can we live with the same resolve and purpose that Jesus demonstrated as He approached the cross?
- In your own life, how does knowing Jesus showed up for you change the way you show up for others?
- Write down the prayer at the bottom of the Key Points and use it as a guided prayer every day this week. How does knowing Jesus' determination change how you view Palm Sunday?
Scripture References
