The final week of our Lent series brings us to Palm Sunday.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all tell how Jesus enters Jerusalem as king.
We hear the cheering of crowds (Luke 19:38-40) and the weeping of Christ (Luke 19:41–44). Joy and judgment. The waving of palm branches and a whip. Preaching on Palm Sunday works best when people can feel this tension.
Today, I’m giving you 1 stat, 1 quote, and 1 story to help you preach Palm Sunday.
About 35 percent of the Gospels focus on the final week of Jesus’ life.
Takeaway: The people who knew Jesus best felt you could not understand him unless you understand this week in his life.
Source: Preaching on Palm Sunday by Kevin Miller
“Either you’ll have to kill him, or you’ll have to crown him. The one thing you can’t do is just say, “What an interesting guy” – Timothy Keller
Early in the morning, Pontius Pilate stood in his fortress, annoyed at being summoned so early. The religious leaders had brought him a man—Jesus—accused of claiming to be a king.
Pilate examined Him, questioned Him, and quickly realized something didn’t add up. This didn’t look like a criminal.
More than once, Pilate said it plainly: “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” But the crowd kept pushing. The pressure kept building. And Pilate began to feel it.
He had a choice to make. So he called for a basin.
A servant brought him a polished bowl filled with water. Slowly, deliberately, Pilate dipped his hands into it and washed them in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.”
It was his way of avoiding responsibility. Of stepping back. Of choosing safety over truth.
But just hours earlier, in a quiet upper room, Jesus had held a basin too.
There had been no servant to wash the disciples’ feet. No one willing to lower themselves. So Jesus stood up, wrapped a towel around His waist, and took a simple basin of water.
Then He knelt. One by one, He washed their feet. Even the one who would betray Him.
Jesus had all authority, all power—and yet He chose to serve. Pilate had power too—but he used it to distance himself, to protect himself, to avoid the cost.
Two basins.
One represents control, image, and self-preservation. The other represents humility, sacrifice, and love.
And that’s the tension of Palm Sunday. In the end, we all choose a basin. The question is: which one?
Takeaway: Following Jesus eventually requires you to choose between self-preservation and self-sacrifice.
Source: This is taken from A Tale of Two Basins by Kevin Miller
Preaching on Palm Sunday
This link is where I got the stat above. It’s behind a paywall, but I find alot of great resources on this site for pastors.
30 Facts About Childhood Today that Will Terrify You
Anyone who knows me knows I’ve listened to almost all of Timothy Keller’s sermons over the years. This is one of his Palm Sunday sermons. Always worth your time.
I send emails just like this one to pastors every Monday. The goal is to help lighten the load of weekly preaching. I would love to add you to the list.
