Jesus Enters Humbly, Shattering Our Expectations

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Humble Arrival Shatters Our Worldly Expectations

God’s ways are not our ways, and His arrival often defies our human anticipation. Jesus entered Jerusalem not as a conquering king on a warhorse, but as a humble servant on a donkey. This was a profound departure from the power and spectacle displayed by rulers like Pilate and Herod. In this humility, God reveals a different kind of power—one rooted in love, service, and sacrifice. He offers the salvation we truly need, not the deliverance we might initially want. [28:42]

“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” (Matthew 21:5 NIV)

Reflection: Where in your life are you currently expecting God to show up with power and might, and how might He instead be inviting you to recognize His presence in humility, gentleness, and quiet service?

Day 2: The Holy Spirit Works Beyond Our Plans and Anticipation

God’s work in the world frequently unfolds in ways we could never have orchestrated or predicted. The Holy Spirit moves through people and circumstances, creating beauty and community that surpasses our initial designs. This divine activity is often discovered in the small, faithful acts of others who respond to a prompting we did not initiate. It is a reminder that God’s vision is far grander and more interconnected than our own. [33:31]

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” (Ephesians 3:20 ESV)

Reflection: Think of a time when a ministry or effort you were part of took on a life of its own. How did that experience reveal God’s work happening beyond your own plans and expectations?

Day 3: Our Small Offerings Become Part of God’s Grand Work

No act of faithful generosity is too small in God’s economy. When we offer what we have, whether it is a bag of groceries, a prayer, or a moment of time, God can weave it into a much larger tapestry of provision and grace. These offerings are not insignificant; they are essential threads in the beautiful work God is doing to sustain and nurture our community. [34:23]

“And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:42 ESV)

Reflection: What is one small, tangible gift you feel prompted to offer this week? How can you offer it with the trust that God will use it for His greater purpose, even if you never see the outcome?

Day 4: Embracing the Salvation We Need, Not Necessarily the One We Want

Jesus came to save us from the deeper bondage of sin and despair, not merely from our immediate, earthly troubles. The hope and foundation He provides address the core longings of our spirit, offering a fulfillment that worldly solutions cannot. This week invites us to release our own agendas for how God should act and to receive the profound grace He actually offers. [36:50]

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8 ESV)

Reflection: Is there a specific prayer or hope you’ve been holding onto where you might be seeking a specific outcome? How can you open your hands to receive what God is actually providing, even if it looks different than you imagined?

Day 5: Holy Week Invites Us to Release Our Expectations of God

This sacred journey is an opportunity to examine what we expect from Christ, the church, and ourselves. It is a call to approach God with curiosity and wonder, rather than a fixed set of demands. As we follow Jesus from the triumphal entry to the cross, we are invited to let our preconceived notions be shattered by the profound mystery of His love and sacrifice. [39:28]

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:3 ESV)

Reflection: As you enter into the story of Holy Week, what is one expectation you have about who Jesus is or how He should work in your life that you feel invited to gently release and replace with prayerful wonder?

Sermon Summary

On Palm Sunday the narrative follows Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and contrasts popular expectation with divine intention. The gospel writer of Matthew records a peculiar detail—Jesus appearing both on a donkey and a colt—that highlights an unshakeable conviction about fulfillment of prophecy and a willingness to accept oddities of witness. People expect a triumphant political liberator like Pilate or Herod, complete with armies and displays of power; instead, Jesus arrives humbly on a donkey, fulfilling prophecy and pointing to a different kind of salvation. The contrast between imperial spectacle and quiet humility exposes how often human plans imagine rescue as force, riches, or immediate political overturning, while God’s work often arrives in ways that subvert those assumptions.

Concrete examples underscore this theme. A church sharing pantry began as a simple outreach but quickly became a place where neighbors both take and replenish food without formal coordination. Volunteers, unknown donors, and even nonmembers stock the shelves, revealing unexpected generosity and the Holy Spirit at work beyond human forecasting. Those small, repeated acts transform into sustained community care, showing how divine action amplifies modest offerings into something communal and life-giving.

The week ahead becomes an invitation to reflect: Holy Week traces Jesus from triumphal entry to the last supper, the crucifixion, and the resurrection, each moment refusing conventional definitions of power and deliverance. Worship plans—Maundy Thursday communion, Tenebrae on Good Friday, Easter sunrise and celebration—frame a pilgrimage that asks who Jesus truly is and what kind of salvation fulfills deepest need. Prayer requests and communal care ground that pilgrimage in practical compassion, from healing petitions to gratitude for long service. The story insists that expectations deserve scrutiny: God often delivers what the world does not predict, and that gift proves deeper and more sustaining than human triumphs.

Key Takeaways

1. God shatters human expectations God consistently upends the plans humans set for divine action; what looks like a failed strategy may prove the pathway to true restoration. Expectation often demands spectacle, but Scripture reveals salvation in humility, suffering, and unexpected service. Learning to relinquish prior scripts opens the soul to surprise and to deeper transformation. [30:24]
2. Humility defines the true king Royalty in Scripture frequently appears through vulnerability rather than dominance; the king who saves rides a donkey, not a warhorse. This inversion reframes authority as service and power as self-gift, calling disciples to models of leadership rooted in compassion rather than coercion. Embracing that paradigm changes how communities measure success. [28:42]
3. Small offerings become great Uncoordinated acts of kindness, like neighbors replenishing a sharing pantry, reveal how little gestures aggregate into sustaining systems of care. Such grassroots generosity demonstrates the Spirit’s ability to multiply ordinary gifts into communal abundance. Participating in small, repeated mercy reshapes neighborhoods and faith. [33:31]
4. Re-examine expectations this week Holy Week invites an honest audit of what people expect from Christ, the Spirit, and the church; asking hard questions clears space for unexpected grace. When anticipation loosens, attention can land on the forms of salvation actually offered—mercy, reconciliation, and renewed life. That reorientation produces spiritual patience and readiness to receive surprise. [39:03]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[07:03] - Palm Sunday introduction and context
[09:43] - Call to worship and hymn
[24:44] - Matthew’s unique detail about the donkey
[28:42] - Humility versus imperial spectacle
[31:16] - Sharing pantry: beginnings and expectations
[33:31] - Holy Spirit at work through neighbors
[36:23] - True nature of Jesus’ salvation
[38:13] - Holy Week services and invitation
[45:41] - Prayers and pastoral concerns
[52:38] - Holy Week schedule and announcements
[54:43] - Celebration and thanks for long service
[56:08] - Offering, peace, and closing

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Matthew 21:1-11 (ESV)
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Observation questions

According to Matthew’s account, what two animals did Jesus ride into Jerusalem on?
What Old Testament prophecy does Matthew say this event fulfills?
What did the crowds shout as Jesus entered the city, and what does the word "Hosanna" mean?
What was the reaction of the people in the city of Jerusalem when they saw this happening?

Interpretation questions

Why is the detail of Jesus riding on both a donkey and a colt significant for the author of Matthew, and what does it tell us about his perspective on the event? [25:02]
The sermon contrasts the entry of Jesus with the expected entries of Pilate and Herod Antipas. [27:51] What does this contrast reveal about the nature of Jesus' kingship and power?
The people shouted "Hosanna," which means "save us," yet Jesus did not save them in the way they expected. [30:09] What does this tell us about the difference between what people often want from God and what God actually provides?
How does the story of the sharing pantry illustrate the theme of God working outside of human expectations? [33:31]

Application questions

God consistently upends the plans humans set for divine action. [30:24] What is one area of your life right now where you are holding tightly to your own expectations of how God should act? What might it look like to loosen your grip on that script?
Royalty in Scripture frequently appears through vulnerability rather than dominance. [28:42] How does this "inversion" challenge your personal view of what is powerful and successful, either at work, at home, or in your community?
Uncoordinated acts of kindness reveal how little gestures can become something big. [33:31] What is one small, simple, and perhaps "uncoordinated" act of mercy you could offer this week, trusting that God can use it in a way you might not see?
Holy Week invites an honest audit of what we expect from Christ. [39:03] As you walk through the events of this week—from the Last Supper to the crucifixion to the resurrection—what specific, preconceived notion about God or salvation are you being asked to re-examine?
The story of the sharing pantry shows the Holy Spirit at work through neighbors. [33:55] Where have you recently seen the Spirit at work in your own neighborhood or community in a surprising or unexpected way that didn't require a formal program or official coordination?
Jesus provides something we didn't necessarily know we needed. [36:23] Looking back, what is one time God gave you a gift—like hope, a foundation, or a future—that was far better than what you had originally asked for?

Sermon Clips

Jesus enters into Jerusalem not like Pilate, not like Herod, not with an army, not with riches. Jesus enters into Jerusalem to save us, but to save us in a very different way than the people thought he was going to save us. And what Jesus provides, what Jesus offers, what Jesus brings into Jerusalem, what Jesus brings into our own lives, what Jesus brings into our spirits, what the Holy Spirit pours out upon us is so much greater, is so much bigger, is so much more powerful than we could ever imagine or expect. [00:35:30] (39 seconds) #HumbleKingSaves

Had somebody I'm not gonna name names. Had somebody in the congregation say that they spend time every week praying about the sharing pantry, about what needs to go in it. And then they bring that food, and they stock it up. I've seen people who don't go to our church stopping by and putting food in there. It's amazing what God can do completely separate from our expectations, completely separate from what we anticipate being the thing that happens. [00:33:01] (38 seconds) #UnexpectedGrace

And Jesus does, in fact, save. Jesus does, in fact, save us. But the ex but the reality of what we encounter, the reality of what we receive is so different from what the people expect. God is funny about our expectations. God is funny about our anticipation. God is funny about what we think should happen and about the order we think things should happen in. God is funny about us. What's the old cliche? If you wanna make God laugh, tell him your plans. [00:30:15] (38 seconds) #GodLaughsAtPlans

And they look at this and they go, on the other side of the city, here comes Jesus. Not mounted on a white war horse, not at the head of a big military procession with no chariots, with no legions, with no, army, with no riches, with no gold, with no silver. Here comes Jesus mounted on a donkey. And Matthew quotes from the Old Testament saying, look, here is your king coming to you humble. [00:28:14] (40 seconds) #KingOnADonkey

We've Roland built this for us, and we thought, well, we'll put food in there. People will come and get it, and that's that. But it's been so beautiful just to look out my window and see all these people who without being asked, without an official mandate, have said, I'm going to make sure my neighbors have the food that they need. That's God showing up. That's the Holy Spirit at work in us and through us and around us. People saying, yes, Lord. [00:33:39] (35 seconds) #NeighborsFeedingNeighbors

And we also know that Pilate and Herod Antipas didn't live in Jerusalem. They came to Jerusalem specifically for Passover. Herod as a a Jew to kind of celebrate and to participate in the feasts, and Pilate as the representative of the Roman Empire to keep the peace of Rome, to make sure that Passover, a holiday that if we remember back to Exodus, is about overthrowing the Egyptian government, like Rome might not love Passover, because Rome's the empire, and Passover is all about throwing off the yoke of the oppressors. [00:26:58] (33 seconds) #PassoverVsEmpire

And we who know the end of the story, we who are in in the know about what happens on Easter, you know, we we read this story and we go, of course, that this is what Jesus is doing. Here is the humility of Jesus on full display. Here, Jesus is showing up in the ways we expect Jesus to show up. But it's important to take that step back and remember, that's not what the people around Jesus would have been expecting. [00:28:53] (26 seconds) #UnexpectedMessiah

They would have been expecting the force that Pilate is bringing, the riches that Herod is bringing. They would have expected Jesus to be entering into the city, entering into the Passover, entering into Jerusalem in the same ways in opposition to what Pilate brings, in opposition to what Herod brings, in opposition to what Rome brings. They expected Jesus to maybe start kind of the revolution of the Passover where Egypt is thrown off, where the slaves are set free, where the people are free from the oppression of the Roman Empire. [00:29:19] (39 seconds) #ExpectRevolution

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Jesus Enters Humbly, Shattering Our Expectations

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Humble Arrival Shatters Our Worldly Expectations

Day 2: The Holy Spirit Works Beyond Our Plans and Anticipation

Day 3: Our Small Offerings Become Part of God’s Grand Work

Day 4: Embracing the Salvation We Need, Not Necessarily the One We Want

Day 5: Holy Week Invites Us to Release Our Expectations of God

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Jesus Enters Humbly, Shattering Our Expectations

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