Palm Sunday 2026

In this Palm Sunday message from Gospel of Matthew 21:1–11, we take a deeper look at the Triumphal Entry and uncover a powerful truth hidden in plain sight.Why did Jesus ride a donkey instead of a war horse?In the ancient world, horses symbolized war—but donkeys symbolized peace. While the crowd cried “Hosanna” (“save us now”), expecting political overthrow, Jesus was revealing something greater: He came not to conquer Rome, but to bring peace by defeating sin and death.This message wrestles with a tension we still face today—our tendency to project our own expectations onto God. Like the crowd, we can desire a Savior who fixes our circumstances, while missing the King who transforms our hearts.What if the real issue isn’t what God is doing—but what we expected Him to do?Through the imagery of the donkey, we’re invited into a “holy stubbornness”—a surrendered life led by the Holy Spirit that says: “If it’s not God, I don’t want it. And if it is God, I won’t fight it.”This Palm Sunday is a call to lay down our expectations, resist shaping God in our image, and receive the true King—on His terms, in His way.Final question: If God doesn’t meet your expectations… will He still be King of your heart?