In the Crowd, Seen by Christ
Matthew 21:1–11
The road is dusty, crowded, loud. You’re standing shoulder to shoulder with pilgrims and townspeople, all pressing in to see what the noise is about. Children laugh, soldiers scowl, merchants shout over one another—and just ahead, a man is riding a donkey into Jerusalem.
There are palm branches waving. Cloaks flung across the road like a royal carpet. And for a moment, it feels like hope is alive in the air again.
You’re just a face in the crowd. But then He looks your way. And everything begins to shift.
This Is More Than a Parade
At first, it feels festive. But this isn’t just a parade. This is Passover week, and Jerusalem is bursting at the seams—four times its normal size, alive with stories of liberation. Every household is preparing to sacrifice a lamb.
And as you stand on the Mount of Olives, watching this man ride into town, something stirs.
You’ve heard the stories.
He heals the sick.
Feeds the hungry.
Raises the dead.
Some around you are shouting “Hosanna!”—not because it’s catchy, but because it’s sacred. They’re hoping, aching, believing: Maybe this is the One the prophets spoke of.
The Son of David.
The Servant of Isaiah.
The Seed of Abraham.
But not everyone is cheering for the same reason.
Some want a revolutionary. A warrior King to drive out Rome. They wave palms, not in worship, but in protest.
Others cross their arms in doubt, muttering, Who is this man?
And some, maybe like you, just want to understand.
A King Who Knows
He doesn’t come charging on a warhorse. He comes riding a donkey—gentle, steady, low.
Just as Zechariah said He would.
This isn’t chance. This is choreography from heaven.
He knew the colt would be there.
He knew the prophecy.
He knew the cross was coming.
And He came anyway.
Because He’s not just a King.
He’s the King—
…Divine in authority
…Prophesied in Scripture
…Gentle in presence
…Peaceful in purpose
…Savior of the world
He came not to take life, but to give His own.
Will You Follow?
That day in Jerusalem, everyone had an opinion.
Some worshiped.
Some doubted.
Some tried to use Him for their own agenda.
But only a few followed.
He still enters the city of our hearts the same way today: gently, humbly, powerfully.
And His question still echoes:
Who do you say I am?
Not just on Palm Sunday.
Not just when the music swells and the palms wave.
But tomorrow.
And the next day.
And on Friday when the sky goes dark.
Will you wave a branch—or will you surrender a life?
Will you cheer—or will you follow?
Because this isn’t just the start of Holy Week.
It’s the invitation of a lifetime.