Palm Sunday

The Triumphal Entry   
Matthew 21:1-11
The Grove – March 29, 2026 (Palm Sunday)

Holy Week begins today— Passion Week —Matthew 21 shows us the final week of Jesus’ earthly life that culminates in His crucifixion and resurrection. It opens with the Triumphal Entry; the moment Jesus deliberately presents Himself to Israel as their long-awaited Messiah King.

This is called Palm Sunday because the crowds place  garments and palm branches along the path as Jesus rode into Jerusalem! 

Jesus was born in Betelhem, raised in Nazareth and he lived life and ministry largely in and around Galilee.

When we come to this passage, I want you to understand that while many had come to town to celebrate Passover – Jesus was not just another pilgrim who had come to town!  The triumphal for entry was the arrival of the king.

Matthew makes clear:  Jesus is King.  And the King has come to His city!

God had promised that he would send Messiah to his people and that messiah would come and judge his enemies.   For centuries, Israel had lived under the expectation of the arrival of their king. They were longing for the coming of Messiah.  Roman occupation had elevated these expectations to an all-time high.

The dominating theme of Matthew's gospel is that Jesus of Nazareth is the anointed one promised in the Old Testament.  Specifically in Matthew chapter 21, verses 1 - 11, Jesus presents himself to the people of Israel as the Messiah King in his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Throughout the gospels, Jesus discouraged people from publicly acknowledging who he was. Scholars call it the messianic secret.  NOW, the secret is out. As Jesus invites and encourages city of Jerusalem to acknowledge him as its rightful King.

QUESTION: Why does this matter? It matters because while Good Friday and Easter tell us what Jesus did, Plam Sunday and the Triumphal entry tells us who Jesus is. 

What he did does not count If he wasn't the one qualified to do it. So, Palm Sunday begins Holy Week by raising the critical question:  Who is Jesus?  There's a simple answer in the text. I wish I had something deeper for you today, but there's a simple answer our text gives.  7:19

JESUS IS KING 

How does the triumphal entry that Jesus is king?  Four ways I hope to get to them all today.  If not you will have to listen in on the app.  Let’s get started: 

NUMBER ONE:  THE SOVEREIGN ARRANGEMENT.  (v1-3)

 On the surface the celebration looked spontaneous, but as you read this what is clear is this: Jesus had sovereignly arranged every detail.

He sent two disciples into the village with specific instructions: Verses 1 and 2 set the scene. As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.

This reveals three truths about Christ’s Lordship:

First, the text begins by declaring: The Lord Rules!   Nothing catches Him by surprise. 

Two unnamed disciples were to run ahead of Jesus to a nearby village and when they arrived to that village that they would not have to hunt immediately they would find a female donkey with her male colt the fact that these animals were tied up - indicates that these were not wild animals these belonged to somebody.  Yet, Jesus says, when you find them, buy them and bring them to me.  9:55

Listen: The Lord rules. 

Question: What about the times when the Lord doesn't rule?  Glad you asked.  The text shows us that not only does the Lord rule, but the Lord also over rules.  12:07

Second: The text declares: The Lord Over-Rules

Jesus tells them to go into the village find these animals that are tied up Untie them and bring them to me and then he acknowledged that there may be some objections when the disciples commandeer this donkey and its colt. 

That's exactly what happened Luke chapter 19 verse 33 says the wait for it owners of the animals asked WHY are you Untying my animals?

Jesus confiscated somebody else's colt to use for his own personal agenda, anticipating that there may be some objection. Verse 3 instructs the disciples how they are to respond when the owners of the coat question their actions. 

If anyone says anything to you, just tell them: The Lord Needs Them

– He has absolute authority over every circumstance and every creature.

The reference to LORD is a divine title.  By virtue of the fact that he is LORD means he doesn't need anything or anyone.  

That includes you and me.

YET, his Divine authority operates through chosen means.   

LORD, If you can use a colt, use me

The Lord deserves our stewardship – The Lord doesn't need your stuff because he needs your stuff. 

I have no stuff.  YOU have no stuff...  Everything belongs to God. We don't own anything. House, not a car, not a toothbrush. It all belongs to him. And we are just stewards. Everything I have, I'm just a manager of what God entrusts to me that I am to use faithfully for HIS purposes in the world

NUMBER TWO: BY THE PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT.  (vv. 4-5)

“This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet…”

Verse 4 is actually the 9th of 10 times that in Matthew's gospel Jesus is fulfilling something that happens to him or with him or about him that we are told is in direct fulfillment of prophecy. 

That prophecy here is stated in verse 5 Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.

The daughter of Zion is messianic language from Isaiah chapter 62 verse 11. Zion was another name in the Old Testament for the Holy city of Jerusalem.  Daughter of Zion was a way of addressing the inhabitants of Jerusalem.  17:58

Jesus intentionally chose a donkey instead of a war horse to show He was not coming to fight Rome — He was coming to bring peace between a holy God and sinful people. His humility shouted louder than any display of power.

Then the rest of the verse quotes from Zechariah chapter 9, verse 9:  Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.

Don’t be afraid.  This is not a foreign king showing up to do you harm. He is your king. He is coming on your behalf and for your benefit. 

The odds of one person fulfilling just eight Old Testament messianic prophecies are 1 in 10¹⁷ — an astronomical number. Yet Jesus fulfilled them all. The entire Old Testament is one grand story that points to Him. There is nobody like Jesus.

The emphasis of this quote from Zechariah is on how the king will come.  Mark this word: humble.

Worldly kings arrive with displays of authority. This righteous king arrives in a display of humility.  In fact, his humility is seen on the fact that he is mounted on a donkey on a colt...  a beast of burden. 

Ancient kings arrived in conquered cities on war horses and chariots, it was a great display of strength and might, heads held high and full of pride. Yet, this king named Jesus arrives in humility, meekness and lowliness. 

Not on the war horse but on what would be the equivalent of saying the king, or the president showed up in an uber a rented yellow cab taxi.

NUMBER THREE: THE ROYAL THE ROYAL PROCESSION (vv. 6-9)

The disciples obeyed Jesus (even when they didn’t fully understand), prepared the colt, and acknowledged Him as King by their actions.

The crowd responded with two expressions of homage:

By their deeds: They spread their cloaks and palm branches on the road — a spontaneous “red carpet” of submission and sacrifice.

The disciples acknowledge Christ 

verse 6 says the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.

Shady Grove hear me:   This is what it means to be a disciple. NOT merely joining a church. It is obeying the commands of Jesus... Hold on. Even when they don't make sense to you. Obedience is the bottom line of Christian discipleship.  27:01

By their words: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Verse 9, and the crowd went before him and those that followed him were all shouting: Hosanna.  Hosanna  is taken from Psalm 118 verse 25. It means in Hebrew, save us.  They were crying out to the Savior — they just misunderstood the kind of salvation He came to bring.

Son of David is a messianic title that acknowledged Jesus as the promised King. 

Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord. 

Jesus is no Roge rabbi.  He is worthy to be praised because he's the official representative of God on earth. He comes in the name of the Lord.

NUMBER FOUR:  The Overwhelming Response (vv. 10-11)

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, “the whole city was stirred” (literally shaken like an earthquake). The people asked, “Who is this?”  This is the climax of our text, Jesus is presenting himself as king, how will the people respond? 

What we see is an overwhelming response.  

Who is this?  - That is the most important question anyone will ever answer. Do you know him?

they called him the prophet, definite article, not a prophet, not one of the prophets, the prophet, which very well is a reference to Deuteronomy chapter 18, verse 15, where God specifically promises to send a prophet like Moses in the last day from Nazareth of Galilee. 47.08

Jesus was the prophet... he was also the priest – is was also the king!  Jesus is a prophet brings divine revelation.  Jesus the priest gives spiritual access. Jesus the king exercises sovereign authority.

We need no other prophet to reveal God's mind. We need no other priests to provide access to God. And we need no other King or president or prime minister to advance heaven's agenda.

JESUS is the all-sufficient Savior who reveals God, provides access to God, and rules with sovereign authority.

Closing Challenge

When the King shows up, you cannot stay neutral. The same crowd that shouted “Hosanna!” would soon shout “Crucify Him!” The real question for every one of us today is not “Who do others say Jesus is?” but “Who do you say that I am?”

Do you know Him? Not just know about Him, but know Him personally — the kind of knowing that comes from walking with Him through every season of life?

If you have Jesus, you always have a reason to praise. Even when the job, the house, the health, or the relationships are shaking — Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!