The King Who Comes to Die
Matthew 26:1–27:66
Palm Sunday / Sunday of the Passion — March 29, 2026
Life in Christ Lutheran Church — Grand Marais, Minnesota
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The crowd that had gathered shouted:
Hosanna to the Son of David!
Hosanna is a Hebrew word. It means Save us now! It is a cry directed to God Himself. Save us!
And when they say Son of David, they mean something very specific. It means the promised Messiah. The true King. The One who would restore the kingdom of Israel. The One who would defeat all enemies. The One who would bring salvation.
They are not wrong.
Jesus is the King. He is the true King of the Jews. He is the Son of David. He does come to save.
And yet they misunderstand how He would save.
They expected political victory. They expected earthly power. They expected an immediate triumph over Rome.
What they did not expect was the cross.
Matthew makes Jesus’ purpose explicit:
“This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet…”
Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. This is not accidental. Jesus deliberately fulfills the Scriptures. He arranges everything according to the prophecy of Zechariah:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Zechariah 9:9, ESV
He comes bringing peace.
He comes lowly.
It is a donkey, not a war horse.
Unlike the conquering kings people expected, Jesus does not come to take life. He comes to give His life.
Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a road that leads only to one place.
The same crowds that shout Hosanna will soon cry out:
Crucify Him!
But Jesus does not change course.
Nothing surprises Him. Nothing alters the plan.
What changes is the crowd.
The palm branches lead only to the cross, and Jesus walks that road willingly.
He takes the palm-strewn road to Golgotha on purpose.
St. Paul writes in Philippians:
“He humbled himself… to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Jesus turns kingship upside down.
He does not grasp for power.
He does not defend Himself.
He does not avoid suffering.
Everything the people expected is overturned.
He empties Himself.
He humbles Himself.
He obeys the Father.
And most shocking of all:
He dies.
None of this is accidental.
Everything happens with divine purpose.
This is the plan for the salvation of the world.
And why?
Because this is how salvation is won.
This is how sin is dealt with.
This is how death is defeated.
This is how Satan is crushed.
What begins with palm branches ends with a single word:
Tetelestai.
It is finished.
Palm Sunday is the beginning of the end.
The King enters the holy city to complete His work.
And when that work is finished:
Sin is paid for.
God’s wrath is satisfied.
Salvation is accomplished.
Jesus does not come merely to attempt salvation.
He comes to finish it.
Today we join the crowd and cry out:
Hosanna! Save us now!
But unlike the crowds of Jerusalem, we know what those words truly mean.
The true King has come.
His throne is the cross.
There He takes your place.
He does not rule by earthly power.
He rules through sacrificial love.
He shows His love for you, for me, and for the whole world by willingly giving His life.
He comes to save through His death.
The week that begins with:
Hosanna!
will end with:
Tetelestai.
It is finished.
Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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