Many of us love watching a big entrance. The celebratory performances leading up to the start of ballgame is half the fun of going to the game. Growing up I loved seeing the starting line-ups announced for the Chicago Bulls. As a young teenager, I would dream of being there in person. What child did not at least once pretend to be Michael Jordon and went through the whole announcement as he ran out onto the backyard basketball court? Hearing the music, seeing the lights, and to hear that iconic voice say, “Starting at guard from North Carolina, number 23, Michael Jordon!!!!” There is nothing like it!

Leading up to the cross, Jesus comes into Jerusalem for Passover with a bang. “This was the only “public demonstration” that our Lord allowed while He was ministering on earth.”^[1] We call this event, the Triumphal Entry. The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is what we celebrate as Palm Sunday. Jerusalem was bustling with activity on this day. Thousands of people flocked to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Among the crowds were three groups of people. Pilgrims who traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover were there. We also find the local people who were among those who saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. Of course, also among the crowd were the religious leaders who had been working on a plan to arrest Jesus and have Him executed.

There are many interesting facts surrounding the triumphal entry. Those facts range from the purpose of Jesus riding on a donkey to the timing of this event. Such studies are meaningful and provide some good applications we can glean from. However, I would like to focus on the crowds that welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem and what we can learn from them.

They Heard of Him. The news of Jesus has spread like wildfire throughout the whole region. By this point, Jesus had increased greatly in popularity and He became a household name. Everyone knew who Jesus was. News had spread of how He turned the water into wine and how He healed the nobleman’s son and the man at the pool of Bethsaida. The biggest buzz around town was the news that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. This news was the icing on the cake. It solidified in the minds of many that Jesus truly is the Messiah. The extra large crowds at this particular Passover, no doubt, was a result of the news that Jesus was coming to town. The first step in knowing Jesus is to hear of Him. Someone, somewhere, along the way told you about Jesus. Perhaps you learned of Jesus as a young child in the arms of your mother as she rocked you to sleep telling you Bible stories and singing ‘Jesus loves me.’ Perhaps you were a teenager who had a friend that invited you to a youth event where you heard about Jesus. Maybe as an adult, a co-worker invited you to church and you came and heard the preacher preach about Jesus. Perhaps you were down and out, caught up in a life of drugs and immorality, when someone came along and witnessed to you. How ever it came to you, someone told you about Jesus. There is a lesson here for us as believers. Lost people cannot be saved unless someone tells them about Jesus. Romans 10:14-15 says, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!^[2] To preach is to ‘proclaim.’ We are all called to preach the Gospel. Every believer is called of God to tell the world about Jesus. Who have you told lately? When was the last time that you shared your faith with someone who was lost?

They Met Him. When the people heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they went out to meet Him. They wanted to see for themselves this One who had come as the Savior of the world. They heard about Him, then they came and met Him. You see, when one hears about Jesus, a response is demanded. This is why at the end of every sermon, I give an invitation. It is one thing to hear about Jesus, it is another thing to respond to Jesus and believe in Him. There are many people in the world that have heard about Jesus and even know a lot of things about Jesus, but they don’t know Jesus because they have never met Him. Have you met Jesus? How can you meet someone you have not seen? By faith. The scripture teaches us that we are to believe on the Lord Jesus to be saved. In order to be saved from the penalty of sin and to have a home in Heaven, you must meet Jesus. You must come to Him and believe on Him.

They Worshiped Him. As the people heard of Jesus and met Jesus, they worshiped Him. They waved palm branches and laid garments on the path as Jesus rode on the donkey. The palm branches were symbols of victory. They shouted “Hosanna”, which in Hebrew means, “please save or save now.” They gave Him the title of “He who comes.” In this moment, they worshiped Jesus as King. Jesus is worthy of our worship. He is the King of Kings and Lord and Lords. He is the Great I Am. He is the Word that become flesh. He is the creator of all things. He is the sustainer of all things. He is the Great Shepherd. He is the bread of life. He is the light of the World. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the beginning and the end. He is the lily of the valley. He is the bright and morning star. He is the babe in the manager. He is the healer. He is the redeemer. He is the sacrificial lamb. He is resurrection and the life. He is the King who is coming again! He is everything and He alone is worthy of praise!

They Followed Him. The people that heard of Jesus and met Jesus and worshiped Jesus, also followed Jesus. They wanted to be with Him. They wanted to go where He went. They wanted to walk in His footsteps. My friend, are you following Jesus? It is one thing to believe in Him for salvation, but are you following Him? Are you a disciple of Jesus? Are you following Him daily? To follow Him is to obey Him. It is to live as He would live. It is to follow His Word. Those who follow Jesus are those who are in the Word every day. Those who follow Jesus are those who obey the Word and live in holiness. Those who follow Jesus are those who are faithful to the house of God. Those who follow Jesus will partner with other believers to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. These are the things that characterize those who follow Jesus. What about you? Are you following Him?

The triumphal entry, I am sure, was a sight to behold. If you were there, would you be among the people that believed? Do you know this Jesus and are you following Him?

^[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 340). Victor Books.

^[2] The New King James Version (Ro 10:14–15). (1982). Thomas Nelson.