This Sunday is Palm Sunday—a day we remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The scene described in all four Gospels is one of celebration and joy. Crowds lined the streets, waving palm branches, laying their coats on the ground, and shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” -Matthew 21:9. It was a moment of public praise and hope. The people were rejoicing, convinced that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah who had come to save them.
But just a few days later, that same crowd—or at least many from that crowd—were shouting something altogether different: “Crucify Him!” The cheers of Sunday quickly became the jeers of Friday. This drastic change seems almost impossible to comprehend. But, when we look honestly at our own hearts, we realize that we are not that different.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see this same pattern in God’s people. Time and time again, Israel praised God in seasons of blessing and then turned away in seasons of struggle or complacency. It’s not just their story—it’s ours, too. We sing worship songs on Sunday, but how quickly our hearts can grow cold by Wednesday. We rejoice when things go our way, but we grumble when life gets hard.
The irony of Palm Sunday is at the very heart of why Jesus came. He entered Jerusalem not just to receive praise, but to carry out the mission of salvation. He came to die for a people who were—and still are—inconsistent, praising Him in one breath and doubting Him in the next. And though the people wanted a Messiah who would overthrow Rome, Jesus came as a Savior who would overthrow sin and death.
This is the beauty of the Gospel: Jesus knew what was coming. He knew the shouts of “Hosanna” would become cries of “Crucify,” and still He rode into Jerusalem. Hebrews 12:2 tells us: “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross.” That joy was you and me. That joy was the chance for broken people to be made whole again through His death and resurrection.
Palm Sunday reminds us that Jesus is worthy of our praise—not just when life feels triumphant, but when it feels like Good Friday, full of pain and questions. He’s worthy on the mountaintops and in the valleys. The key is learning to worship Him not just with our words on Sunday, but with our lives every day.
The people praised the idea of a Messiah, but when Jesus didn’t meet their expectations, they turned on Him. And truthfully, we can fall into the same trap. When life doesn’t look the way we thought it would, we may question God’s plans or distance ourselves from Him. But faith isn’t about everything making sense—it’s about trusting the One who never changes.
Are we worshipping Jesus only when things are going our way, or are we committed to worshipping Him in all seasons? Let us be people who praise Him on Sunday and on Friday—when it’s easy and when it’s hard, when the crowd cheers and when the road leads to the cross.
As Jesus told the woman at the well in John 4:23: “A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.” May that be true of us. May we be the kind of worshipers who lift His name high—not just when palms are waving, but when the path is painful. Because even then, Jesus is worthy.
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