What Kind of King? Rethinking Power, Peace, and Palm Sunday
Pastor Victoria Sowell
On the surface, Palm Sunday looks like a celebration. A parade, palm branches waving, people shouting and laying down cloaks. But underneath all of that joy was a deep disconnect between what the people wanted and what Jesus actually came to do. Their hopes were high, their assumptions strong—and yet they completely missed the point.
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Palm Sunday isn’t about fanfare. It’s about misaligned expectations, radical humility, and the way of peace over power. It raises questions we still wrestle with today: What do we want from Jesus? What do we actually need? And what kind of King is He, really?
When Expectations Don’t Match Reality
Most of us know what it feels like to expect one thing and experience something else entirely. It could be a small moment—like asking your kid to get dressed for church and watching them show up in a Spider-Man costume. Or it might be something heavier, like expecting to be in a different place in life by now, or struggling with health issues you never saw coming.
Jerusalem had expectations too. They wanted a King with a sword, a political leader who would drive out the Romans and restore power to Israel. But Jesus didn’t come to conquer Rome—He came to conquer sin. He didn’t bring war; He brought peace. A different kind of King altogether.
And sometimes, like Jerusalem, we’re so locked into what we think we need that we completely miss what God is actually offering.
Peace Over Power: A Different Kind of Kingdom
In Luke 19:28–44, Jesus sends two disciples ahead to find a colt. He would ride this animal—one that had never been ridden—into Jerusalem. This wasn’t a spontaneous choice. It was intentional, fulfilling Zechariah 9:9:
“See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
In ancient times, kings rode horses into battle, but donkeys were for peace. Jesus could have made a grand, militaristic entrance, but He chose the symbol of humility. Not because He lacked power, but because He redefined it.
He is the Prince of Peace, not the general of war. His strength is revealed not in domination, but in surrender. Not in force, but in compassion. Power in His kingdom is not for self-exaltation but for the good of others.
This is not the kind of King many expected—but it’s the kind we all deeply need.
When Crowds Praise, But Don’t Understand
As Jesus rides into the city, the crowd erupts with praise:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38)
It sounds powerful. It looks like worship. But Jesus knew it was shallow.
Their praise was based on what they hoped He would do, not who He actually was. They wanted a savior for their situation, not their souls. A king for their country, not their hearts.
And within days, the same crowd would be shouting “Crucify Him.”
This is where it gets uncomfortable. Because we do the same thing.
We worship Jesus when He meets our expectations.
We trust Him when things go our way.
We praise Him loudly, but quietly withhold our actual surrender.
So the question is worth asking: Are we worshiping Jesus for who He is? Or only for who we want Him to be?
Praise Without Surrender Isn’t Worship
Laying down palm branches is easy. Laying down pride, sin, control? That’s much harder.
The people shouted, laid their cloaks, and called Him King. But as soon as He failed to meet their political agenda, they turned. When Jesus doesn’t fix our situation the way we want, do we still call Him King?
True worship isn’t conditional. It’s rooted in truth, not outcome. It’s not a performance—it’s a surrender.
The faithfulness of Jesus isn’t swayed by public opinion or fleeting applause. He didn’t stop moving toward the Cross just because the crowd misunderstood Him. He doesn’t stop loving us when we’re inconsistent either.
But He invites us to move from performance to participation. From palm branches to actual repentance. From admiration to transformation.
The God Who Weeps
One of the most striking moments in this passage is when Jesus sees the city and weeps. Not a quiet tear, but full-bodied sobbing.
“If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.” (Luke 19:42)
This isn’t just emotion. It’s heartbreak. Jesus sees a people desperate for peace, but blind to the way it actually comes. They’re fixated on external change, but He’s after heart-level transformation.
He knows the temple will fall. He knows Rome will conquer. But His grief is not over the physical destruction—it’s over the spiritual blindness. Their faith is built on outcomes, not intimacy.
Isaiah 53:3-5 paints this picture even more clearly:
"He was despised and rejected by mankind... pierced for our transgressions... crushed for our iniquities... the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."
That kind of peace only comes through surrender. Through letting Jesus be enough.
When We Chase False Peace
It’s easy to settle for the world's definition of peace—comfort, control, success, resolution. But the peace Jesus offers doesn’t always remove the struggle. Sometimes it meets us inside of it.
He doesn't promise a fix. He promises presence.
And while we chase other things—validation, distraction, numbness—He asks us:
Can I be enough for you?
Will you let Me lead even when My way is uncomfortable?
Will you trust Me to bring the peace your soul actually needs?
That’s not a question to answer once. It’s one to revisit over and over.
The Kind of King We Still Need
Jesus never came to win popularity. He came to win people. Not just their loyalty, but their hearts. Not just to be admired, but followed.
He is still the kind of King who enters gently. Still the kind who weeps over hard hearts. Still the kind who gives His life so we can have ours.
Palm Sunday isn’t about a parade. It’s about a crossroads.
Will we receive the King we need? Or reject Him because He doesn’t match what we expect?
Questions Worth Asking This Week
If you want to go deeper, consider reflecting on these:
Where am I disappointed with Jesus because He didn’t meet my expectations?
Is my praise dependent on my circumstances or His character?
What kind of peace am I chasing?
Where might Jesus be grieving something in my life that I can’t see?
What would it look like for me to surrender—not just outwardly, but inwardly?
Let This Be the Beginning
Palm Sunday begins the final stretch of Jesus’ road to the Cross. But it’s also the beginning of something for us.
The journey ahead—through betrayal, silence, suffering—leads to resurrection. But only if we follow Him through the whole road.
This isn’t about celebrating a moment. It’s about choosing a way of life.
Let’s allow this week to be one of honest examination, deeper trust, and real surrender.
He won’t be the King we expect.
But He is always the King we need.
Further Reading
Jesus the King: Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God by Tim Keller
“What Kind of King?” – Palm Sunday Reflection by The Gospel Coalition