Palm Sunday 03/29/2026

Podcast

Welcome and Prayer: Jim Calhoun

Come Lord, join us here today

Bring us close to you
Close to each other
Keeping faith
Deepening our hope
Knowing that you are with us
All the days
Moment by moment
As we practice our calling
To serve
Just as you serve us.

Serving those who are without
Those vulnerable
Those weak
Those needy
Those broken and resistant
Loving folk who feel unloved
And unloveable
Because we know
The life
That can grow
From that grace
And mercy
And kindness
Thanks to you.
Thank you.
Amen

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

“The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.” John 12:12
Intro: We’re told this large crowd “had come to the feast”

I take that to mean they were not locals, but most likely from the Galilee region where they had followed Jesus’ ministry
– being visitors to Jerusalem, they “camped” on the mountains around the city
• and especially the Mount of Olives,
◦ staying in tents, a lean-to, or sleeping under the open sky
– a rumor shuttled through the crowd – Jesus was near
Jesus spent the previous night in Bethany,
• a small village on the backside of the Mt. of Olives
◦ there had already been speculation, whether he’d show up
◦ many people had been looking for him in and around the temple
• a murmur of voices floated down the slopes of the Mount of Olives
◦ breathless anticipation hung in the air
– someone, not yet clued-in, felt it and asked, “What’s going on?”
she was told the rumor, “We think Jesus is here!”
“Where?”
“We don’t know yet, but he’s close”
– then there was some commotion at the crown of the mountain
• a man threw his cloak on the worn path, perhaps hoping Jesus would step on it when he arrived
• that triggered a wave of people carpeting the road
◦ some throwing down their cloaks or a palm branch
◦ others cut more branches and preparing to wave them like banners

Then, at last, Jesus appeared at the summit,
– and those nearest to him went wild
• as he slowly begins his descent, a woman cries, “Hosanna!”
◦ immediately it becomes a chant – a chorus of “Hosannas”
– a donkey is brought to Jesus, and now he rides down the path
• a shout, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD”
◦ familiar lyrics from Psalm 118
◦ and immediately others begin singing it
• another voice yells, “The King of Israel!”

The thunder of hundreds of voices fill the sky,
– floating down into the Kidron valley, then up Mount Zion and spills over the walls of Jerusalem, into the city
– singing – praising – announcing – begging

Now people are pouring out of the city
– these are the locals, driven by curiosity
• as they reach the edge of the crowd, they shout,
◦ “Who is this?” – and a voice in the crowd yells back,
“This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee”
• the two crowds join merge and become one river that flows into the temple

I doubt that Jerusalem had seen anything like this for at least 100 years or more
– it’s a big day for Israel – a wonderful day – a day of hope

By the time Jesus reaches the gates of the city,
there are three different, spontaneous reactions to this spectacle
The First spontaneous reaction: Jesus’ own bewildered disciples
– they are overwhelmed and thrilled, for sure,
• but they have no idea of what is going on
◦ Jesus gave them no warning
◦ they had nothing to do with planning or programming it
◦ they don’t even know how it started
– it was only some time later – after Jesus was “glorified,” as John says,
• and after much searching of the prophets and introspection,
◦ that they realized on that day the Scriptures were fulfilled
“Fear not, daughter of Zion” –the prophet Zechariah had written
“behold, you king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
“This is the day that the LORD has made;” the psalmist wrote,
“let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
• this footnote was added to the story much later
◦ and right now it’s sort of a distraction
◦ but it became an important revelation for the disciples
• the Lord Jesus, whom they had followed for several years,
◦ allows himself for the first time to be recognized as the Messiah

The second spontaneous reaction: was that of the furious Pharisees
– they had been Jesus’ nemeses through his entire ministry
• and right then they were losing their minds!
– I try to imagine them shouting at each other,
“Can’t you see we’re getting nowhere? We were supposed to stop him! Silence him!”
And another,
“Look what’s happening! The whole world has gone after him!”
– of course, that was an exaggeration,
• but hysteria causes people to think all kinds of wild ideas

The third spontaneous reaction seems ironic to me
– a Pharisee had just said, “the world had gone after him”
• and then the very next thing we read is,
“Now among those who went up to the feast were some Greeks”!
– this looks like it was meant to confirm the Pharisees’ worst fears
• these foreigners, these non-Jewish visitors to Jerusalem,
◦ found Philip and said, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus”

At this point, the story turns
The parade is over and the excitement is dying down
– but before we go on, I want to express my own passion:
• I enjoy seeing my Hero celebrated for who he is, for what he’s done, and all that he represents
• I would love to see crowds of his disciples cheering him
◦ not the contrived, feel good, “look at me worship” show
◦ but with a reverent, humble, self-abandoned focus on Jesus
• And I want see the whole wide world to go after him

The Grecians approaching Philip is a flashback to the beginning of John’s Gospel

The first disciple of Jesus to be named by John is Andrew
– and the first thing Andrew does is to bring his brother, Peter, to Jesus
• after that, the next disciple named is Philip
◦ and the first thing Philip does is goes and gets Nathanael
• Andrew and Philip are bringing people to Jesus
◦ in chapter 6, Philip and Andrew appear again
◦ Andrew brings to Jesus a boy, whose lunch feeds a multitude
– John may be telling us that he is wrapping up his story of Jesus’s public ministry
by creating an envelope structure using Andrew and Philip at its beginning and end
• chapter 12 tells the of Jesus’ final announcements to people outside is inner circle of disciples
– did the Greeks actually meet and talk with Jesus?
• the Lord’s answer doesn’t tell us anything about them, perhaps still waiting somewhere off-camera

The story of Palm Sunday suddenly turns sad
Jesus rains on his own parade – he talks about his death
“And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again'” John 12:23-28

The “grain of wheat” Jesus mentions is himself and he says it “falls into the earth,”
which seems an odd phrase to me
– it would make more sense if he said the seed was planted in the earth
• but Jesus gives the seed human characteristics,
◦ so it falls, like a soldier who falls in battle
• Jesus then makes his literal death an example for us
◦ we must carrying on his ministry through a living death
◦ we must learn how to die to a corrupt world
– the Lord’s words sink into my heart, and I feel sadness
“Now is my soul troubled”
• there are times when we have to live with that dying to the world and dying to self

Conclusion: My sister Cheryl has five children
A few years ago, her oldest daughter married a remarkable man
A devoted follower of Jesus, who taught Bible studies that drew lots of young people hungry for God’s word on Friday nights at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa
He was a male model and sometimes returned to modeling when they needed extra income
Mike was also a body-builder and more recently became part-owner of a gym
Always yearning to minister to others, he used gym for Bible study
And most recently he was hired by a church in Connecticut to be their pastor
Monday Mike suffered a massive heart attack
Since he was alone, no one was there to assist him
Being without oxygen, his body was unable to protect itself from deterioration
It has been a tense week, with the doctors not being certain of his outcome;
that is, until Friday, when he passed away
His death has changed the mood of Palm Sunday for me this year
There’s still the celebration
But only Jesus sees the big picture – and his soul is troubled
We’re not here forever – and at times the journey seems impossible
Today, my soul is troubled, as is the case for all my family
I feel the best I can do, is just get up and come to Jesus
That is his invitation, “Come unto Me”

I did not know of Damien Rice until a new friend shared one of this artist’s song with me. I want now to share the lyrics of that song with you.

Just Come
We’ve wanted to be trusty and true
But feathers fell from our wings
And we’ve wanted to be worthy of you
But weather rained on our dreams
And we can’t take back
What is done, what is past
So fellas, lay down your fears
‘Cause we can’t take back
What is done, what is past
So let us start from here
‘Cause we never wanted to be lusty or lewd
Nor tethered to prudish strings
And we never wanted to be jealously tuned
Nor withered into ugly things

But we can’t take back
What is done, what is past
So fellas, lay down your spears
‘Cause we can’t take back
What is done, what is past
So let us start from here

And if all that you are
Is not all you desire,
Then, come
Come, let yourself be wrong
Come, it’s already begun
Come, come alone

Come with fear, come with love
Come however you are
Just come, come alone

Come with friends, come with foes
Come however you are
Just come, come alone

Come with me, then let go
Come however you are
Just come, come alone

Come so carefully closed
Come however you are
Just come
Come, come along
Come with sorrows and songs
Come however you are
Just come, come along
Come, let yourself be wrong
Come however you are
Just come

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Damien George Rice
Trusty and True lyrics © Warner/chappell Music Publishing Ltd