00:00:39.520 Good. Good morning, Freedom Church.
00:00:41.840 Welcome everyone. I'm Pastor Eric. Yes,
00:00:45.600 God is so so good. I want to say welcome
00:00:47.680 to everyone watching online from home,
00:00:50.000 wherever you are watching this as well.
00:00:52.160 And uh we are celebrating Palm Sunday
00:00:55.520 today. Uh all these songs that we're
00:00:57.680 singing are just kind of pointing us to
00:00:59.280 Jesus today. I love it. Loved worshipping
00:01:01.280 with you all this morning. Hey, before we
00:01:03.119 get jumped in though, I want to invite up
00:01:04.960 Jared real fast. Jared, come on up. Give
00:01:07.119 him a hand.
00:01:09.119 So Jared's wife couldn't make it today
00:01:10.960 cuz she's pregnant. Due in a couple weeks. Um she's not big. It's just a big shirt.
00:01:14.000 She's not here today because she's home.
00:01:16.880 But Jared had some news for us.
00:01:18.880 Good morning Freedom Church. Jared right here.
00:01:21.040 Good morning. Uh so yeah, I just want to
00:01:23.280 share a little praise report. Uh we are
00:01:25.520 officially going to be launching our youth
00:01:27.759 ministry Freedom Youth coming in May.
00:01:31.520 We're super excited. We're gonna be starting off with monthly
00:01:35.040 events starting in May. So more information to come, details on dates, all that stuff.
00:01:39.280 But if you are in 6th through 12th grade or you know somebody that is in 6th through 12th grade,
00:01:43.759 please make sure they know about it. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, whatever.
00:01:46.880 We are so excited to launch Freedom Youth. Thank you guys.
00:01:50.960 Awesome. Love it. Love it.
00:01:53.600 Well hey, like I said, today is Palm Sunday.
00:01:55.840 It's the beginning of Holy Week, right?
00:01:57.920 The week leading up to Good Friday, which is the crucifixion of Jesus and then Easter Sunday.
00:02:03.360 The resurrection of Jesus Christ.
00:02:05.600 How many of you grew up going to church on Palm Sunday?
00:02:08.560 Anyone grow up in church? Handful of you.
00:02:10.880 So I grew up going to church on Palm Sunday.
00:02:12.800 And I gotta be honest, as a kid, I had no clue what was going on.
00:02:16.240 I had no idea what Palm Sunday was about.
00:02:18.960 I just knew two things. Number one, I got a little palm frond.
00:02:22.400 And number two, I could fold it into a cross or poke my brother with it.
00:02:25.840 That was pretty much the extent of my knowledge of Palm Sunday.
00:02:29.680 But as I got older and started reading the Bible for myself,
00:02:32.800 I realized that Palm Sunday is actually a massive event in the Gospels.
00:02:37.360 It's recorded in all four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
00:02:41.360 And it marks the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
00:02:45.360 It's the moment where Jesus publicly presents Himself as the Messiah, as the King.
00:02:50.880 But here's the thing that's so fascinating about Palm Sunday:
00:02:54.080 The people who were shouting "Hosanna" on Sunday were the same crowd shouting "Crucify Him" on Friday.
00:03:00.640 Think about that. In less than one week, the entire mood of the city shifted completely.
00:03:06.160 Why did that happen?
00:03:07.840 Why did their praise turn into rejection so quickly?
00:03:11.440 Because Jesus didn't meet their expectations.
00:03:14.320 They wanted a political liberator.
00:03:16.800 They wanted a military warrior who would ride in on a stallion, overthrow Rome, and set up an earthly kingdom.
00:03:23.280 But Jesus didn't ride in on a war horse. He came riding on a donkey colt.
00:03:28.000 He didn't come to conquer Rome; He came to conquer sin and death.
00:03:32.480 He didn't come to destroy their enemies; He came to die for their sins.
00:03:36.880 And because He didn't fulfill their agenda, they turned on Him.
00:03:40.800 And today, as we walk through the story of Palm Sunday, I want us to ask ourselves a real question:
00:03:46.400 Are we praising Jesus for who He truly is, or are we praising Him for what we want Him to do for us?
00:03:52.480 Are we following the King of Kings on His terms, or are we trying to draft Him into our plans?
00:03:57.680 Turn with me in your Bibles to Luke chapter 19.
00:04:00.560 If you don't have a Bible with you, that's totally fine, the scriptures will be up on the screen behind me.
00:04:05.280 We're going to start in verse 28 of Luke 19.
00:04:08.080 Let's read this together:
00:04:09.920 "After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
00:04:14.160 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives,
00:04:18.880 he sent two of his disciples, saying to them,
00:04:21.840 'Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there,
00:04:26.400 which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
00:04:30.080 If anyone asks you, "Why are you untying it?" say, "The Lord needs it."'
00:04:34.640 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.
00:04:38.240 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, 'Why are you untying the colt?'
00:04:42.880 They replied, 'The Lord needs it.'
00:04:45.360 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.
00:04:49.760 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
00:04:53.360 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives,
00:04:56.880 the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
00:05:03.200 'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!'
00:05:08.880 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher, rebuke your disciples!'
00:05:13.680 'I tell you,' he replied, 'if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.'"

00:05:18.000 Amen. What an incredible passage.
00:05:20.240 Let's unpack this together today.
00:05:22.400 Notice where Jesus is starting from: He's near Bethphage and Bethany, on the Mount of Olives.
00:05:27.680 Now, Bethany is where His friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus lived.
00:05:32.080 And remember what had just happened in Bethany recently?
00:05:35.200 Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead!
00:05:38.080 That miracle sent shockwaves throughout the region.
00:05:41.280 People everywhere were talking about it.
00:05:43.600 Word was spreading like wildfire: "There's a man named Jesus who raised Lazarus after four days in the tomb!"
00:05:49.840 So by the time Jesus approaches Jerusalem for Passover, the crowds are massive.
00:05:54.640 Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims were gathering in Jerusalem for the feast.
00:05:58.800 Expectations were at an all-time high. People were asking, "Is this the Messiah? Is He going to claim the throne now?"

00:06:05.120 And then Jesus sends two disciples to get a donkey colt.
00:06:08.800 Why a donkey colt? Is that just random transportation?
00:06:11.840 Not at all. This was a direct fulfillment of prophecy!
00:06:15.280 In Zechariah chapter 9, verse 9, written over 500 years before Jesus was born, it says:
00:06:21.840 "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
00:06:25.840 See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious,
00:06:29.600 humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden."

00:06:34.960 Jesus was intentionally sending a clear signal to everyone who knew the Scriptures.
00:06:39.920 He was saying: "I am the Promised King. I am the Messiah you've been waiting for."
00:06:44.880 But notice the manner in which He comes.
00:06:47.360 In the ancient world, when a king entered a city riding a horse, a war horse, it meant he was coming for war, conquest, and judgment.
00:06:55.280 But when a king entered riding a donkey, it signaled that he was coming in peace.
00:07:00.080 Jesus didn't come to Jerusalem on a warhorse to destroy His enemies with a sword.
00:07:04.640 He came on a humble donkey colt to offer peace between God and humanity through His blood.

00:07:10.560 Look at what the crowd does as He rides in:
00:07:13.280 They spread their cloaks on the road.
00:07:15.520 They lay down palm fronds.
00:07:17.680 Spreading cloaks on the ground was an act of total submission and royal honor.
00:07:22.240 It was reserved for royalty. They were essentially rolling out the red carpet for King Jesus.
00:07:27.440 And as He rides along, the crowd erupts into praise!
00:07:30.800 They shout: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
00:07:34.720 In Matthew's Gospel, they shout: "Hosanna to the Son of David!"
00:07:38.640 Do you know what the word "Hosanna" means?
00:07:41.040 It's a Hebrew word that means "Save us now!" or "Save, we pray!"
00:07:45.840 It was a cry of desperation and hope.
00:07:48.320 They were crying out: "Save us, Lord! Save us from Rome! Deliver us!"

00:07:52.960 But here's the tragedy:
00:07:54.800 They wanted salvation from political oppression, but Jesus came to bring salvation from spiritual captivity.
00:08:01.440 They wanted freedom from Caesar, but Jesus came to offer freedom from sin, guilt, and eternal death.
00:08:08.240 They were looking at their immediate circumstances, while Jesus was looking at their eternal destiny.

00:08:14.080 How often do we do the exact same thing in our own lives?
00:08:17.680 How often do we come to God with our own agenda, shouting "Save me from this financial trial!" or "Save me from this difficult relationship!" or "Fix my circumstances right now!"
00:08:27.360 And there's nothing wrong with praying about our circumstances—God cares about every detail of our lives!
00:08:32.880 But if our worship is dependent on God fulfilling our earthly expectations, what happens when He doesn't act the way we think He should?
00:08:41.280 What happens when the job falls through? What happens when the sickness isn't healed immediately? What happens when trial strikes?
00:08:48.640 Do we stop shouting "Hosanna"? Do we turn away?

00:08:52.480 You see, the crowd on Palm Sunday loved Jesus as long as they thought He was going to give them what they wanted.
00:08:58.480 But true worship isn't about using God to get what we want. True worship is surrendering our lives to who He is!

00:09:05.840 Look at verse 39 in Luke 19.
00:09:08.240 The religious leaders—the Pharisees—were infuriated by the crowd's worship.
00:09:12.800 They said to Jesus: "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
00:09:16.080 Why were they angry? Because calling Jesus "King" and shouting "Hosanna to the Son of David" was blasphemy in their eyes unless He really was God.
00:09:24.400 They wanted Jesus to quiet the crowd down.
00:09:27.040 But look at Jesus' response in verse 40:
00:09:29.680 "I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

00:09:34.000 What a line!
00:09:35.600 Jesus is saying: "My glory and My lordship will be proclaimed. Creation itself recognizes its Creator!"
00:09:42.480 If human beings refuse to give Him the praise He deserves, nature itself will burst forth in worship!
00:09:48.080 The rocks and mountains, the seas and stars will sing His praise!
00:09:52.240 I don't know about you, but I don't want a rock taking my place in worship!
00:09:56.240 I want to lift my voice and praise the King of Kings while I have breath in my lungs!

00:10:01.360 But let's keep reading, because right after this incredible moment of triumph, something heartbreaking happens.
00:10:07.760 Look at Luke chapter 19, verses 41 through 44:
00:10:11.760 "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said,
00:10:16.720 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.
00:10:23.280 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.
00:10:30.400 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls.
00:10:34.400 They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.'"

00:10:40.800 Think about this contrast:
00:10:42.560 The crowd is cheering, shouting, celebrating, throwing down palm fronds...
00:10:46.960 And Jesus is weeping.
00:10:49.200 The Greek word used here for "wept" doesn't mean a silent tear rolling down His cheek.
00:10:54.000 It means deep, audible sobbing.
00:10:56.880 Why is Jesus sobbing in the middle of a victory parade?
00:11:00.160 Because He looked past the cheering crowd and saw the state of their hearts.
00:11:04.880 He saw that they didn't really understand who He was.
00:11:08.000 He saw that within five days, this same city would reject Him, hand Him over to Pilate, and demand His crucifixion.
00:11:15.520 He saw the destruction that would come upon Jerusalem in AD 70 when the Roman army under Titus would completely destroy the temple and tear down the city walls.
00:11:24.800 His heart broke for them because they missed their moment of visitation. They didn't recognize peace when Peace Himself was riding right in front of them.

00:11:34.000 Friends, Jesus wept over Jerusalem, and His heart still yearns for hearts that are far from Him today.
00:11:40.400 God does not desire that anyone should perish.
00:11:43.120 He wants everyone to come to repentance and find true peace in Jesus Christ.

00:11:47.840 So what does Palm Sunday mean for us today in 2026?
00:11:51.680 How do we apply this message to our daily lives?
00:11:54.640 I want to leave you with three quick takeaways this morning:

00:11:58.320 First: **Surrender your expectations to Jesus.**
00:12:02.000 Stop trying to force God into your mold.
00:12:04.640 Jesus didn't come to fit into our plans; He came to invite us into His eternal plan.
00:12:09.920 When things don't go the way you expected, trust His sovereignty.
00:12:13.680 His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.
00:12:17.920 A donkey colt wasn't what the crowd expected, but it was exactly what prophecy required and what God ordained.
00:12:24.400 Trust that God is working behind the scenes, even when His methods surprise you.

00:12:29.680 Second: **Offer Him genuine, unreserved praise.**
00:12:33.760 Don't let your worship be conditional on your circumstances.
00:12:37.280 Praise Him not just for what He does, but for who He is!
00:12:40.960 He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
00:12:46.400 Don't let the rocks cry out in your place.
00:12:49.280 Whether you're on a mountaintop today or walking through a deep valley, lift your voice and give Him glory!

00:12:55.760 Third: **Recognize the King today.**
00:12:58.800 Don't miss your moment of visitation.
00:13:01.360 If you're here today, or watching online, and you've never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ—today is the day!
00:13:08.080 Don't wait until tomorrow. Don't let the noise of the world drown out the gentle call of the Holy Spirit.
00:13:13.920 Open your heart to King Jesus today.

00:13:17.120 You know, on Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a humble donkey colt as the Prince of Peace.
00:13:23.280 But the Bible tells us in the Book of Revelation that when Jesus returns a second time, He won't be riding a donkey.
00:13:29.840 Revelation 19 says He will return riding a white horse as a conquering warrior!
00:13:35.120 He is coming in power and great glory to establish His Kingdom forever!
00:13:39.840 The first time He came to wear a crown of thorns; the second time He comes wearing many crowns!
00:13:45.360 The first time He came to give His life as a sacrifice; the second time He comes as the reigning King!

00:13:51.200 The question for each of us today is simple: Is He your King right now?
00:13:56.240 Have you laid down your life—your cloak, your pride, your ambitions—at His feet?

00:14:02.160 Let's bow our heads and close our eyes across this room.
00:14:05.680 If you are here today and you realize, "Pastor Eric, I've been shouting 'Hosanna' with my mouth, but my heart has been far from Him. I've been trying to control my own life, but today I want to surrender my life completely to King Jesus"—if that's you, I want to pray with you right now.

00:14:21.840 Just pray this simple prayer in your heart:
00:14:24.480 "Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that You are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
00:14:29.360 I confess my sins to You and ask for Your forgiveness.
00:14:32.880 I lay down my pride, my plans, and my expectations at Your feet.
00:14:37.360 I ask You to be my Savior and the Lord of my life.
00:14:40.880 Lead me, guide me, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit.
00:14:44.640 Thank You for dying on the cross for me and rising from the dead.
00:14:48.400 I surrender my all to You today. In Jesus' name, Amen."

00:14:53.120 If you prayed that prayer today, we celebrate with you! Heaven is rejoicing over you right now!
00:14:58.720 Please let us know—fill out a connection card or talk to one of our prayer team members upfront after the service.

00:15:05.280 Let's all stand together as we close in worship.
00:15:08.160 Heavenly Father, we thank You for Holy Week. We thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to walk the path to the cross for us.
00:15:15.520 May our praise be genuine. May our hearts be fully surrendered to You every single day.
00:15:20.880 As we go into this week leading up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
00:15:28.400 In Jesus' mighty name we pray, Amen!

00:15:32.000 God bless you all, have a wonderful Palm Sunday!