Worship Guide for March 24

March 22, 2024

Prepare for Sunday morning worship by using the guide below.

Luke 19:28-40

²⁸And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” ³²So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. ³³And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” ³⁴And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” ³⁵And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. ³⁶And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. ³⁷As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, ³⁸saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” ³⁹And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” ⁴⁰He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Watch the Sermon

Summary: Palm Sunday commemorates the beginning of the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. He enters Jerusalem humble, mounted on a donkey in fulfillment of prophecy, and his disciples hail him the King of Israel, but the religious leaders will have none of it. Jesus receives the praises of the crowd but as he has “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (9:51), he will accomplish what he came to do. The misguided expectations of many would not dissuade him. He did not come to overthrow the Romans, but to confront his own people and to defeat sin and death, through his own death. A suffering messiah is not what the people had envisioned. Even the disciples do not understand until after his resurrection. Jesus is in full command of everything, even his own death. The humble shepherd-king, the sovereign Lord of all, is the promised messiah and the lamb of God.

Review and Apply

When you consider Jesus’ sovereign rule and his all-seeing eyes - are you more comforted or threatened? Why?

Reflect on the cloaks (and palm branches in other gospel accounts) that are laid on the road ahead of Jesus. How can you express your adoration and submission to Christ this week as we await Resurrection Sunday?

As Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, many expected him to unleash a political revolution leading to the kingdom of God. How do people today co-opt Jesus for their own purposes? Or what misguided expectations might you have of Jesus?

How does the Triumphal Entry stir your affections for him?

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