The King We Need: Jesus' Triumphal Entry

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus is the King who is in complete control.

Even as He drew near to His suffering, Jesus demonstrated His supreme authority. He knew exactly what His disciples would find and how people would respond. His instructions were precise and His predictions came true, revealing a Lord who is sovereign over every detail. This is the King we can trust with every part of our lives, knowing nothing is outside of His command or care. [11:18]

Mark 11:1-3 (CSB)
When they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and told them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here right away.’”

Reflection: Where in your current circumstances are you struggling to believe that Jesus is in complete control? What would it look like to actively trust His authority over that specific situation this week?

Day 2: God uses ordinary things to accomplish His extraordinary purposes.

The King of Kings chose a common donkey for His triumphal entry, not a royal steed. This pattern continues today, as God delights in using the mundane, the simple, and the everyday for His glorious plans. Your ordinary life, with its common talents and regular routines, is the very material God wants to use to display His power and love to the world. [12:39]

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (ESV)
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

Reflection: What is one ordinary aspect of your life—a skill, a resource, or a part of your daily routine—that you could consciously offer to God for His extraordinary use?

Day 3: Obedience to Christ often precedes full understanding.

The disciples were given a strange task that likely felt awkward and confusing. Yet, they obeyed without full comprehension of the larger plan. Their faithful action, not their complete understanding, positioned them to witness a miracle. Following Jesus does not require that we see the entire picture, only that we trust the One who paints it. [14:06]

John 14:21 (CSB)
The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.

Reflection: Is there a specific, perhaps puzzling, prompting from God’s Word or Spirit that you have been hesitating to obey because you don't see the full reason why? What is one step of obedience you can take today?

Day 4: True worship is a life surrendered, not just a moment of hype.

The crowd’s enthusiastic cries of “Hosanna” on Sunday turned to “Crucify” by Friday. Their worship was based on what they wanted Jesus to do for them temporarily, not on who He was eternally. Authentic worship moves beyond a fleeting emotional response to a lifelong commitment of surrender to the King and His purposes. [23:38]

Romans 12:1 (ESV)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Reflection: In what area of your life is there a disconnect between your worship on Sunday and your obedience throughout the week? How can you move that area from a moment of hype to a offering of your whole life?

Day 5: Jesus came to save us from our ultimate problem: sin.

The crowd cried “Hosanna,” meaning “save us now,” but they desired political salvation from Rome. Jesus, however, came to provide a far greater rescue—from the eternal consequences of sin and separation from God. His kingship addresses our deepest need, offering a salvation that is not merely temporary but transformational and everlasting. [26:27]

Matthew 1:21 (CSB)
She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

Reflection: When you cry out to Jesus for help, are you more often seeking rescue from a temporary circumstance or from the sin that hinders your relationship with Him? How can you focus more on your eternal need for a Savior this week?

Sermon Summary

Family life and candid conversation frame an exploration of Mark 11 and the triumphal entry, inviting reflection on who Jesus is, what he does, and how people respond. A simple celebrity analogy highlights cultural expectations about fame and arrival, setting up a contrast with Jesus’ actual entrance into Jerusalem. Jesus deliberately chooses an ordinary colt rather than a warrior’s steed, signaling a kingship that confounds worldly assumptions and displays sovereign authority in humble means. The narrative emphasizes that ordinary things and ordinary people become instruments of God’s purposes when God claims them and when people act in faith.

The disciples model willing obedience: they follow a strange instruction without full understanding, find exactly what Jesus predicted, and speak only the words given to them. Their faith moves others to notice and to participate, not by inventing new rhetoric but by passing along the Lord’s own claim. The crowd erupts in praise—spreading garments and branches and shouting “Hosanna”—yet their expectation centers on an immediate, political deliverance. That fervor exposes a common danger: enthusiasm without depth can give way to fickleness; the same voices that cry “save us” can later demand crucifixion.

Attention to the temple scene sharpens the point: Jesus moves through the place of sacrifice and worship with clear purpose, poised to become the ultimate sacrifice and the living way to God. Rather than seizing a political throne or riding the wave of hype, Jesus withdraws to a quieter moment in Bethany, revealing that genuine kingship reshapes worship and invites lifelong devotion rather than momentary spectacle. Palm Sunday serves to remind people that salvation addresses the deeper problem of sin and that worship requires sustained allegiance, not episodic applause. The passage calls for a faith that trusts God’s authority, offers ordinary gifts for extraordinary ends, practices obedient action amid uncertainty, and commits to worship that lasts beyond the crowd’s cheers.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus as the unexpected king Jesus arrives not on a warrior's steed but on a colt, upending expectations about power and prestige. That contradiction forces a reassessment of what true kingship looks like: authority wrapped in humility and purpose. Worship of such a king means valuing spiritual rescue over political advantage and recognizing sovereignty where culture seeks spectacle. [11:18]
2. Ordinary things accomplish extraordinary purposes A common donkey and everyday possessions become the stage for divine action, showing that God often uses the mundane to fulfill redemptive purposes. Offering ordinary gifts, skills, and time invites God to multiply them for kingdom ends without needing human grandeur. This shifts attention from resources to responsiveness: readiness matters more than reputation. [12:39]
3. Obedience even when instructions confuse The disciples obey strange directions without full comprehension, demonstrating that faith often precedes full understanding. Obedience opens pathways God has prepared and invites others to witness God’s provision. Practicing trust in the uncomfortable cultivates spiritual courage and aligns daily choices with divine intent. [16:22]
4. Worship must extend beyond fleeting hype The crowd’s loud “Hosanna” reveals a desire for deliverance, but their hope centers on temporal rescue and later collapses into betrayal. True worship endures beyond emotional moments; it reorients life toward the eternal rescue from sin that Jesus offers. Sustained devotion resists the swing of public opinion and anchors discipleship in Christ’s lasting work. [22:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:31] - Family conversation exercise
[04:07] - Celebrity analogy and expectations
[11:18] - Donkey image and Jesus’ authority
[15:39] - Disciples’ obedient faith
[19:54] - Triumphal entry and Hosanna
[24:14] - Temple reflection and true worship
[26:27] - Call to cry “Hosanna” / Close

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Mark 11:1-11 (ESV)
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Observation questions

What specific instructions did Jesus give to the two disciples he sent ahead into the village?
What was the crowd’s physical response to Jesus’s arrival (what did they do with their cloaks and branches), and what were they shouting? [19:54]
After entering Jerusalem and the temple, where did Jesus go for the night instead of staying in the city? [24:14]

Interpretation questions

Jesus chose to enter Jerusalem on a colt, a young donkey, rather than a war horse. What does this choice reveal about the nature of his kingship and kingdom? [11:18]
The disciples were given strange instructions that they obeyed without full understanding. What does their immediate obedience, even in confusion, demonstrate about the nature of faith? [16:22]
The crowd shouted “Hosanna,” which means “save us.” What kind of salvation were they most likely hoping for from Jesus, and how did that differ from the salvation he actually came to bring? [22:10]

Application questions

Jesus often uses ordinary things and people to accomplish his extraordinary purposes. What is an ordinary skill, possession, or part of your daily routine that could be offered for God’s use? [12:39]
Following Jesus can sometimes feel awkward or confusing, like the disciples sent to get the donkey. Where in your life right now does obeying Jesus feel a little weird or not make complete sense? What would it look like to take a step of obedience anyway? [13:34]
The crowd’s worship was passionate but short-lived, shifting from “Hosanna” to “Crucify” in a few days. What are the differences between a faith that is based on a momentary hype or emotional experience and a faith that is a sustained, lifelong devotion? [22:10]
True worship involves recognizing Jesus as the king who saves us from our ultimate problem of sin, not just our temporary circumstances. When you cry out to Jesus for help, are you more often asking for rescue from a situation or for rescue from the sin in your own heart that complicates the situation?
The disciples simply repeated the words Jesus gave them when questioned. Where in your life do you feel pressure to be “creative” or “cutting edge” in your faith, and how can you find freedom in simply sharing the story of what Jesus has said and done? [17:00]
Jesus withdrew from the hype of the crowd to spend time in a quieter setting. How can you intentionally create space to be with Jesus away from the noise and expectations of the crowd this week? [24:14]

Sermon Clips

Jesus is the king who came to save. The crowd anticipated one type of salvation. I want us to know. I want us to marvel. The crowd is missing it. They think they're giving their best. They've got an end goal in mind, but it's not actually Jesus' end goal. Jesus is not about just fixing the temporary. He's about fixing eternity. It's taking care of our sin issues. He is the king who came to save not politically, not financially, not even relationally you and I, but spiritually between us and God. [00:21:49] (42 seconds) #KingWhoSaves

He is mighty to save. And unfortunately, what we're going to see as we get closer to Good Friday is this crowd who believes they're giving Jesus their best, who believes they're worshiping the king in spirit and in truth, will not remain faithful. The same crowd that cries out, Hosanna, save us on Sunday, cries out, Crucify on Friday. We need to be reminded that Jesus came to rescue us and redeem us from our eternal problem of our sin, not just the temporary ones. We need the reminder of Palm Sunday so we don't go the way of the crowd. [00:22:31] (47 seconds) #RememberPalmSunday

And then rather than getting caught up in the hype, he retracts to a quiet moment to be with family and friends in Bethany. He doesn't get caught up in the hype. Jesus is the king that we worship with our whole lives, not just a moment of hype, but with everything we've got. And so why do we need Palm Sunday? Because we need to be reminded that Jesus is the king we need, who came to save us regardless of where you're at this morning. You have not out sinned his sacrifice this morning, and he's worthy of all of your worship. We don't want to just give him a moment. We wanna give him our lives. [00:25:11] (48 seconds) #WorshipWholeLife

So I gotta believe Jesus walked into the temple, and he looked around, and he goes, I'm about to be the forever sacrifice. Jesus was or the temple was the place where people would come to be near to god. Jesus Jesus, as he's standing in the temple, I think looks around and go, I'm about to make a whole new way for people to be close to God. He stands in the temple, and and he says, this is how people commune and celebrate and and draw near. And I'm about to do something that makes this place far more personal. [00:24:37] (33 seconds) #NewWayToGod

Palm Sunday is important for us because it reminds us we don't we don't follow the crowds. We worship the king. So one of the questions that I would I would beg you to wrestle with this morning is the crowds cry out, Hosanna. Save us. As Jesus comes into town, that's exactly what he's going to do. That is the invitation is that you would cry out, Hosanna. Save us. Save me from my spiritual problem, my eternal problem. We need Palm Sunday because we need to be reminded that we worship the king. He came to save and set captives free. Let's pray. [00:25:58] (48 seconds) #HosannaSaveUs

come back together as we're reflecting on why do we need the triumphal entry? Why do we need Palm Sunday? Why do we take a week and reflect on Jesus arriving in the city of Jerusalem in maybe an unlikely manner? I think one of the the reasons is because this story reminds us that Jesus is the king that we need, that you and I needed a king who was going to lead and love and rescue ordinary people like you and I who was willing to instruct and guide and tell us what to do, give us his word to pass on to others because otherwise, we would be left alone trying to figure this all out on our own. And this morning, Jesus wants to remind us in this story, he's the king we need. [00:18:58] (47 seconds) #TriumphalEntryReminder

But the disciples here walk a path of obedience even when maybe it feels a little bit confusing. And then lastly, we see in these first couple of verses, he says, when when you're questioned, if anyone says, why are you doing this? Say, the lord needs it. Jesus is demonstrating he is the king. He is the Lord. He has authority over everything. This donkey, this colt may belong to someone else, but ultimate authority rests in Jesus. And so we all have things that we're entrusted with, but we have the opportunity to say, yes, Jesus, would you use this? [00:14:18] (44 seconds) #JesusHasAuthority

Sometimes I think Jesus gives us tasks. He gives us instructions. He tells us to do things that in the moment don't make sense. But what I love is we're going to see in just a moment that doesn't stop the disciples from being obedient. Just because they don't fully understand what Jesus is up to doesn't mean they don't walk in obedience. I wonder where right now you and I have opportunities to walk in obedience in ways that for us in the moment feel a little bit weird, don't fully make sense. We don't know what God is up to. [00:13:43] (36 seconds) #ObedienceWithoutUnderstanding

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The King We Need: Jesus' Triumphal Entry

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus is the King who is in complete control.

Day 2: God uses ordinary things to accomplish His extraordinary purposes.

Day 3: Obedience to Christ often precedes full understanding.

Day 4: True worship is a life surrendered, not just a moment of hype.

Day 5: Jesus came to save us from our ultimate problem: sin.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

The King We Need: Jesus' Triumphal Entry

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