Today is Palm Sunday, the day we remember our Lord’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Although he was coming into Jerusalem humble and mounted on a donkey,¹ he and his disciples were being treated like conquering heroes as it was presumed Israel would soon be delivered from Roman rule. Jesus was the long-awaited for Messiah!

The crowd was excited, throwing their cloaks on the ground along Jesus’ path and waving palm branches. The disciples must have overjoyed because they still didn’t have a full grasp on Jesus’ Kingdom, and they thought the new kingdom of Israel was about to be ushered in. They expected to be a part of it. At one point James and John had even asked Jesus to be seated at his right and left hand sides in his glory, not realizing who would actually be to his right and left when he entered the Kingdom a few short days later.

Here is how it is described in Luke 19:29-44:

²⁹ When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰ saying, “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. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” ³² So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. ³³ And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” ³⁴ And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” ³⁵ And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. ³⁶ And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. ³⁷ As 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, ³⁸ saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” ³⁹ And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” ⁴⁰ He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

With the exception of the Pharisees everybody was happy and celebrating. Everybody that is except for one other person.

⁴¹ And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it²

Jesus wept, and they were not tears of joy. He knew the people misunderstood his mission, and he knew that in less than one week he would be rejected, tortured, and crucified. And yet he continued to ride into Jerusalem, knowing the cross was in his future, to complete the work of the Father and bring salvation to anybody who would claim him as Lord and Savior. Greater love has no one than this…³

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1. Zechariah 9:9 ESV ↩︎
2. Luke 29:41 ↩︎
3. John 15:13 ESV ↩︎