Easter Devotional - Day 1 - Palm Sunday
The King Has Come
Scripture: Matthew 21:1–11
"A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!'" — Matthew 21:8–9
Imagine you found out that someone truly great was coming to your town. Not a movie star or an athlete, but someone who had healed blind people, fed thousands with just a few fish and a little bread, and even raised someone from the dead. What would you do? You'd probably run outside, right?
That's exactly what happened when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on the very first Palm Sunday. People lined the streets. They waved branches and threw their coats down on the ground in front of him, like a royal red carpet. They shouted 'Hosanna!' which means 'save us!' They knew — or at least they hoped — that Jesus was someone special. That he was, in fact, their King.
But here's what's interesting: Jesus didn't ride in on a great white horse like a conquering general. He came on a donkey. In those days, a king on a donkey was sending a message of peace. Jesus wasn't coming to fight with swords. He was coming to save, but not in the way most people expected.
The whole city was buzzing. Matthew tells us that Jerusalem was 'stirred', and everyone was asking, 'Who is this?' And the crowd's answer was: 'This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.'
They were right, but they didn't know the half of it yet. This wasn't just a prophet riding into town. This was the Son of God, arriving to do something that would change everything for every person who had ever lived, and every person who ever would.
Holy Week starts with a parade and a shout of joy. But it leads somewhere far greater.
PRAYER
Jesus, thank You for coming. Thank You for being a King who chose peace over power and love over force. As we walk through this week together as a family, open our eyes to see who You really are. Amen.
DISCUSSION
If Jesus came riding through your town today, what do you think people would do? What would you do?
The crowd called Jesus their King, but He came on a donkey instead of a warhorse. What does that tell you about what kind of King Jesus is?
This week is called Holy Week. Why do you think it might be called 'holy'?