Palm Sunday: The King We Didn't Expect | Passion Week 2025

Join us in this episode of the Behind the Mike Podcast as we kick off Passion Week with an intriguing look behind the story of Palm Sunday. 

Discover the true meaning of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem 2000 years ago, and how it fulfilled ancient prophecy. Explore the contrast between the conquering king the people expected and the humble king who came to bring peace. 

Reflect on your own expectations of Jesus and whether you are following Him for who He really is. 

Don't miss this deep dive into what it truly means to welcome Jesus as King. 

Subscribe and stay tuned for more Passion Week reflections.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Welcome to Passion Week
00:28 - The Story of Palm Sunday
01:05 - Jesus: The Unexpected King
02:17 - Our Expectations vs. Reality
03:12 - A Challenge for Passion Week
03:47 - Join Us for More

#palmsunday #passionweek #Jesus #easter

Transcript

0:00

Hey friends, welcome to the Behind the Mike Podcast. As we start this Passion Week series, I want to ask you a question. What kind of king would you cheer for? You see, 2000 years ago, a crowd lined the streets of Jerusalem, waving palm branches and shouting Hosanna! But they had no idea what kind of king they were welcoming. And maybe sometimes we really don't either. So today, let's go behind the story of Palm Sunday and ask what it really means for Jesus to be king. Palm Sunday kicks off the final week of Jesus life before the cross. It's recorded in all four Gospels, but let me read

Matthew 21: 0:43

8-9. Most of the crowds spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the ground. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! Now this looks like a victory parade, and in some way it was. But there's so much more going on here. The people believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the King sent by God to save them. But here's the thing. They wanted a conquering king, someone who would overthrow the Roman Empire and give Israel its freedom back. Instead, Jesus rides in on a donkey, not a war horse. Why? Because Jesus came to bring peace, not war. His battle wasn't against Rome. It was against sin and death itself. Matthew tells us this fulfilled the prophecy

from Zechariah 9: 1:47

9 which says, behold, your king is coming to you righteous and having salvation. Is he humbled and mounted on a donkey? In ancient times, a king would ride a horse if he was coming to conquer. But a donkey if he was coming in peace. Jesus is showing them and us that he is a different kind of king. He didn't come to take power by force, but to lay down his life. And here's where it gets real. Just like the crowd, sometimes we cheer for a Jesus of our own making. A Jesus who will fix all of our problems, defeat our enemies, and make life easy. But what happens when Jesus doesn't meet our expectations? What happens when his plan looks different than ours? You see the same crowd that shouted Hosanna on Sunday shouted Crucify him! On Friday because Jesus didn't fit their mold. So are you following Jesus for who he really is? The humble King who gave his life for you? Or are you following a Jesus of your own making, one who serves your plans, not God's? Palm Sunday invites us to see Jesus for who he really is. The King who comes in peace to rescue us from sin, a King who deserves our full surrender, not just a moment of praise. So today, as we begin Passion Week, I want to challenge you. Will you welcome Jesus as King, not just of the world, but of your life. Not just when things are good, but even when following him is hard. If this challenge you let me know in the comments or reach out. I'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to join me tomorrow as we look at what Jesus did on Monday and why he flipped the tables in the temple. Until then, let's follow the King. We didn't expect but the king we all desperately need. Hey, like and subscribe and share to walk with us through Passion Week. And if you've never made Jesus King of your life, message me. I'd love to talk with you about it. Until tomorrow. Take care and God bless.