The King Is Coming | Palm Sunday | Pastor Howie Van Dyk
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Pastor Howie Van Dyk delivers a powerful Palm Sunday sermon at Grace Church of Ridgewood, reflecting on the complex and emotional triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Drawing from a harmonized account of all four Gospels, he paints a vivid picture of the day’s joy, prophecy, and tragedy—where crowds hailed Jesus as king with palm branches and shouts of 'Hosanna,' only for Jesus to weep over the city’s impending destruction and the people’s spiritual blindness. The sermon traces the emotional arc of Holy Week, from the exuberance of Palm Sunday to the sorrow of Good Friday and the hope of Easter Sunday. Pastor Van Dyk emphasizes that Jesus entered humbly on a donkey, fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy, and that His mission was not political liberation but spiritual salvation. He challenges listeners to reflect on their own response to Jesus—whether they are rejoicing, rejecting, or simply unaware—and calls them to walk through Holy Week with intentionality, meditating on Christ’s love, sacrifice, and ultimate victory over death.
Jesus' triumphal entry was both a celebration and a prophecy of sorrow—He entered humbly on a donkey, not a warhorse.
The crowd’s cry of 'Hosanna' meant both 'Save us now!' and 'Blessed is the King,' revealing their mixed expectations—political liberation versus spiritual salvation.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people failed to recognize the time of God’s coming to them, a warning for all who delay repentance.
Holy Week is not just a historical event but a personal journey—Christ’s emotions mirror our own, and His sacrifice was for each individual.
We are called to respond to Jesus with faith, not just emotion: either accept Him as Savior, reject Him (with serious consequences), or grow in understanding.
…and 2 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Welcome to Palm Sunday: A Holy Day of Celebration and Reflection
“The king is coming. Here he comes. Friday we understand that the king is suffering. The king is dying. And then this coming Sunday we celebrate the fact that the king is living.”
The Crowd’s Hosanna: A Cry for Help and Hope
“Dear Jesus, King, Messiah, save me from myself. Save me from my stupid thoughts. Save me from my evil thoughts. Save me from making bad decisions.”
Jesus on the Donkey: Humility, Prophecy, and Divine Foreknowledge
The sermon delves into the symbolic significance of Jesus riding a colt, fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy. Van Dyk uses a relatable analogy—asking someone to take a car without permission—to illustrate Jesus’ divine authority and foresight, emphasizing that even the donkey was calm under His presence.
From Joy to Weeping: The Emotional Whiplash of Holy Week
“This was a cry I often think of because I've done some work in funeral homes and stuff. When you come into a funeral home and it's a really difficult funeral. And you hear the mourners in the room just screaming and crying. That's what you would have heard with Jesus on the road into Jerusalem.”
The Three Responses to Jesus: Rejoicing, Rejecting, and Not Understanding
“If you're here today and you're rejecting Jesus, you've put yourself in a very difficult position. Because even if you say, oh, pastor, I'm not rejecting him. I just don't want to make it. You've made a decision somehow and it isn't to accept him.”
“The king is coming. Here he comes. Friday we understand that the king is suffering. The king is dying. And then this coming Sunday we celebrate the fact that the king is living.”
“Dear Jesus, King, Messiah, save me from myself. Save me from my stupid thoughts. Save me from my evil thoughts. Save me from making bad decisions.”
“This was a cry I often think of because I've done some work in funeral homes and stuff. When you come into a funeral home and it's a really difficult funeral. And you hear the mourners in the room just screaming and crying. That's what you would have heard with Jesus on the road into Jerusalem.”
Host
Jesus Christ
person
Pastor Howie Van Dyk
person
Jerusalem
place
Pharisees
person
Grace Church of Ridgewood
organization
Bethany
place
Easter
other
Lazarus
person
Passover
other
Ridgewood
place
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