As the donkey carried him into the city, the crowd met him. John 12:13 says, “They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,,“Hosanna! ”,“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”,“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

Today is the day. 3+ years of ministry led up to this announcement. Jesus is their king; he is the king they’ve been waiting on, but his kingdom is like none other.

You see, the people of Israel were awaiting a king to come and overthrow Rome. They believed this would give them freedom again, but Jesus had a different strategy. As king, Jesus is coming to not just engage a political foe, but to conquer the real enemy of death.

Today is a celebration of a kingdom being announced. A kingdom that strikes a death blow to death. Because of King Jesus, you and I have hope:

• Hope of eternal life.
• Hope of seeing our loved ones again.
• Hope of knowing the difficulties and struggles of this life are only temporary. They are achieving an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Hold tightly to this hope as you celebrate Palm Sunday.