Palm Sunday is a moment of paradox. A king arrives, but not in the way anyone expects. A crowd cheers, but their loyalty is short-lived. Victory is celebrated, but it leads straight to suffering.

The streets of Jerusalem were packed with people, the air thick with dust and anticipation. Passover is approaching, and the city is alive with pilgrims. Then comes Jesus, riding in on a donkey. The people throw down palm branches and their cloaks, shouting Hosanna! They believe He’s the one they’ve been waiting for, the Messiah who will overthrow their oppressors.

They’re right about who He is. They’re just wrong about how His victory will unfold.

Palm Sunday isn’t just a feel-good prelude to Easter. It’s the opening act of the greatest reversal in history. A day of celebration that sets a collision course for the cross. A glimpse of the glory that reveals the cost of redemption. A moment that forces us to ask: Do we follow Jesus when He meets our expectations, or do we follow Him when He shatters them?

Because the road He’s on doesn’t lead to a throne. It leads to a hill called Golgotha.