The Triumphal Entry
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28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “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. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
37 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:
38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”[b]
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
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Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. -
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
2 Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.”
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
23 The Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad
25 Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord, we bless you
27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Since 1633, every 10 years, Oberammergau has dramatised this Holy week starting with Palm Sunday. It is very moving, and a whole tourist industry has developed around that story. Ultimately, it is a tourist attraction and doesn’t challenge our everyday lives. But this triumphal entry is real – it is in all four gospels Matt 21, Mk 11, Lk 19, Jn 12. This is far more than a nice tradition, Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday is His story and it is our story.
Jesus enters Jeru in a way that gets attention and receives their praises, doesn’t shun their adoration (Hosanna). Jesus stating visually, he is the one - Ride on in majesty, in lowly pomp ride on to die.
What I would like to do this morning, to give us a fresh take on this well-known passage is to look at Jesus' Palm Sunday journey by looking at Road Signs!
1 Gradient
2 Danger
3 Animals
4 Rocks
5 Give Way
3 No U-Turns
Gradient
Luke 19 is the last stage of Christ’s journey. A long (& winding) road that began in Galilee where Jesus predicted he w/be rejected by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem (Luke 9:22). He entered Jericho (Luke 19:1) where salvation came to the house of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:10). Jesus knew he had to go up to Jeru. From Jericho (Luke 19:28) he walked to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives before riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. Mt of Olives is a long ridge to the east of Jeru 800 metres above Jericho. It was a difficult uphill journey. Next time you you’re facing an uphill struggle – perhaps this Palm Sunday will give you hope enough to put you hand in the hand of the one who has faced the uphill journey of suffering and of being deserted and of being accused falsely - Jesus walked that gradient so he could be there for you and here with you today.
Danger
1. Jesus knew that his life would be in danger but he still rode on. (Luke 9:22) He had a mission to complete. Mission to defeat death and rescue us).
Five days before Good Friday, Jesus rides into the Holy city Jerusalem. Crowds of people are arriving in Jerusalem for the Passover festival and Jesus makes a very dramatic entrance to the city. Jesus also knew this would provoke the religious leaders – he is making a statement, fulfilling Zech 9:9 ‘your king comes to you triumphant.. riding on a donkey.
Despite the obvious danger he rode on in majesty.
There are dangers in following Jesus. Jn 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Matt 5:11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven’
Open Doors World Watch 2025 listed 10 most dangerous places to be a Christian.
Afghanistan. Iran Pakistan Nigeria Eritrea Sudan Libya Yemen Somalia North Korea.
4,476 Christian were killed for faith last year (3100in Nigeria).
310million Christians face very high or extreme levels of persecution i.e. 1 in 7 believers world wide face extreme persecution.
When we feel persecuted, think of what Jesus did to rescue us from destruction……
Donkey
1. Jesus needs a Donkey. He sent 2 disciples to Go & get one, there is where you will find it. When they challenge you say ‘the Lord needs’ a Donkey. It seems he prearranged the Donkey. He tells them where the Ass will be tied, he tells them it is unbroken. He gives them the password ‘the Lord needs it.’
This was Jesus orchestrating a triumphal entry. Jesus is in control of the events, deliberately making a visual statement, a claim to be the messiah, but not the warrior they expected… this is a deliverer of humility, riding on a donkey (fulfilling prophecy 500 years before, Zechariah 9:9 ).
It wasn’t the entrance of a military deliverer who w/h arrived on a war horse to make a statement. Jesus isn’t on a nationalistic crusade. Neither was this the entrance of someone just wanting to slip into the city. Jesus brings liberation of a different kind. Freedom from sin and a peace which passes all understanding. This is the freedom people need today, people trapped in sin, self-centred lives, the sin of pride, lust, of ££ & possessions. He gives peace even in crisis. Jesus spoke to the storm peace be still & he can speak to the storms and turmoil in your life & bring peace. Our King of kings is also our prince of peace. This is good news for FRANC
Rocks
Bible reading from Luke 19 seems like a success story, Jesus triumphal entry to Jerusalem but it’s also a story of failure, failure of the Jews to recognise God’s Messiah…. rejection of Jesus Christ, religious people who refused to give way to Jesus.
The Pharisees try to get Jesus to stop the crowd worshipping him. to silence the crowd “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” (v39). Jesus knows that the truth of who he is cannot be hidden. In saying that the stones will cry out, Jesus is saying that the people’s worship should be encouraged, not suppressed. Their joy and declaration Hosanna – saviour is so appropriate, so important, that, if they did not worship the very rocks would worship. Luke 19:40.
Did Jesus mean that the rocks would literally start shouting praises to the Lord? The idea of rocks worshipping the Lord is powerful poetic imagery. Its not the only scripture to give such a metaphor. Isa 55:22 “mountains and hills will burst into song …. and all the trees … clap their hands.” Psalm 148 lists created things praising their Creator—the sun, moon, stars, heavens, water, sky, animals, and people.
Everyone and everything was created for the pleasure of the Lord.
Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
What happened after Palm Sunday shook the foundations of the world. We set out calendars by his birth. We would forever have an empty tomb to visit in Jerusalem not a mausoleum. These Rocks challenge us to never cease from praising and worshipping our wonderful LJC.
Give Way
1. Jesus has the strength to give way to his fathers will. He said ‘not my will but yours’ in Luke 22:42.
It takes strength to give way, courage to trust in God. Outrageous trust accepts that God has the right of way, he directs our paths if we allow him.
These people knew their bibles Zechariah’s prophecy, Jehu’s coronation 2 Kings 9:13 “They hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps… and shouted, ‘Jehu is king!’.” The Hallel Psalms, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Ps 118). (A direct ref to Jer 23:5-6). The Word stirred in them a longing for what God would do in their lives and their land and by his kingdom (it puts us to shame). What a challenge to us today, Trust him outrageously. Find guidance in the Word as we ‘read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest’ the Word. Give way, let Him have right of way.
No U-Turns
For Jesus there was no going back on the decision he has made to ride in to Jerusalem. Luke 9:51: "When the time drew near for him to be taken up, he resolutely set out for Jerusalem." Right back in Galilee he was on a journey to the cross. There would be no U Turns.
How often do we attempt U turns when there are no U turn signs. In a crisis do we turn away from God, (does God care, does God exist…) or when it’s all plain sailing do we U-turn away from God going our own way – ‘I am the king of my own kingdom, I don’t need a Lord – It’s my life?’
Conclusion
I said earlier Jesus knew what he was doing he was preparing the way for you to be safe and saved for eternity - he walked the steep uphill gradient, he faced the danger signs, he had the humility to ride in on a donkey, he went all the way from Jerusalem to Calvary when a U turn could have spared his life. But he gave his life so that your life could be spared. John 10:10 ‘I have come that…may have life..’
I have decided to follow Jesus (x3)
No turning back, no turning back.
Tho' none go with me, I still will follow,(x3)
No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me, (x3)
No turning back, no turning back.
