29 March 2026 - Peter van Breda - Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday didn't happen in isolation. Jesus was traveling towards Jerusalem deliberately for months. He knew his destiny. Luke nine and fifty one says, he resolutely set out for Jerusalem, which means he made a determined decision to go knowing what awaited him. He told his disciples repeatedly what would happen in Jerusalem, that he would be betrayed, that he would be arrested, and he would be mocked, and beaten, and crucified. And then on the third day, he would rise again. [01:13:02] (35 seconds)  #ResolvedToJerusalem

Palm Sunday comes and goes. The branches, the crowd, the celebration. But beneath it all, there is a deeper truth we need to hear. Jesus did not come as the king that they expected. He came as the king they truly needed. Christ's kingdom is not built on power, spectacle, or human expectation, but humility, surrender, and love. So this particular Sunday is not just about remembering the parade into Jerusalem. It's about you and I recognizing our king. [01:08:33] (41 seconds)  #KingOfHumility

There's so many churches that are bowing to the culture of the day, and they are trying to appease the people who are sitting in their pews. They're trying to attract people by bowing to the culture. We cannot bow to the culture, folks. We cannot take the word of God and turn it even so slightly to appease the ears of people. Who is he? Actually, according to scripture. Your answer to that determines everything in your life. [01:42:59] (39 seconds)  #StandOnScripture

Palm Sunday marks one of the most dramatic moments in Jesus' life, yet most Christians are only familiar with the Sunday school version as I call it. You know the basics. Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem while people wave palm branches and shouted Hosanna. Beginning of Holy Week, the Sunday before Easter, some churches hand out palm fonts and we make palm crosses and everyone sings songs about Jesus entering the city. But there's much more happening beneath the surface for the story. [01:09:35] (36 seconds)  #MoreThanPalmBranches

This wasn't just religious enthusiasm. It was a political revolution that they hoped that he would lead. Dressed in biblical language, the crowds publicly proclaimed Jesus as a Messiah king who would overthrow Roman occupation and restore Israel's glory. They expected him to ride into Jerusalem, gather an army, and start a rebellion. They had no idea that he was riding towards a cross and not a throne. [01:20:07] (31 seconds)  #TheyWantedRevolution

Jesus just didn't stumble into the crucifixion. He walked towards it deliberately. Palm Sunday shows that he was in complete control even when it appeared that he was so vulnerable. He orchestrated his entrance to force confrontation that would lead to his death because his death was the whole point. His death was the whole point. Without him dying, none of us would be sitting here today. [01:31:58] (35 seconds)  #HeWalkedToTheCross

The question Palm Sunday asked each one of us is the same question it asked the crowd in Jerusalem. Who do you say Jesus is? Who do you say Jesus is? Not who you want him to be, not who culture wants him to be, not who religion has made him out to be. Who is he exactly according to scripture? [01:42:21] (32 seconds)  #WhoDoYouSayHeIs

How many of us don't blame God for things that have happened in our own lives when we do not understand his timing and everything? How many of us have not sat somewhere and said, why me, God? Why are you doing this to me? How many of us have not prayed for a child and they're still running the streets? And we blame God for that. [01:33:05] (31 seconds)  #TrustGodsTiming