The following piece was first written for the March 29, 2026 pew sheet at St Augustine’s Anglican Church. I share it here again in the hope that it may continue to encourage and bless.
Today we observe and celebrate Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. We recall Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, as crowds waved palm branches, spread their cloaks on the road and cried out, "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!" These words and actions reveal a people longing for deliverance. Their joy and enthusiasm are unmistakable – they believe Jesus is the long-awaited saviour who will bring restoration and triumph. Yet their expectations are shaped by hopes of political power and military victory. What they do not yet understand is that Jesus is not the kind of deliverer they anticipate. By the end of that same week, many voices that once praised him will cry out for his crucifixion.
This raises a deeper question for us: what kind of Saviour, Deliverer and Lord is Jesus? We often struggle with this because our instinctive understanding of kingship is tied to wealth, status, power and control. But Jesus reveals a very different kind of kingship – one that overturns worldly expectations. From the humility of his birth, to his upbringing in a carpenter's home, to his ministry among ordinary people, his life consistently embodies service, sacrifice and quiet authority. Even here, as he enters Jerusalem, he comes not on a war horse, but on a donkey, accompanied by fishermen and villagers. Jesus is the true King – but his reign is marked by humility and self-giving love. So the question remains: is Jesus your King? Is he the Lord of your life? Palm Sunday invites us not merely to admire him, but to live under his gracious rule. And yet, there is also the "not yet" of his kingship. One day, when he comes again in glory, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord of all.
May you be richly blessed as you journey through this Holy Week.
