In this Palm Sunday sermon, Pastor Josh Earl reflects on Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, emphasising the deeper meaning behind the crowd’s cheers of “Hosanna!” As they waved palm branches, they celebrated Jesus as their Saviour—but, as Josh points out, they celebrated him on their own terms.
Firstly, Josh explains how the crowd welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem with high hopes—expecting a political saviour who would overthrow Roman rule. But when Jesus didn’t meet their specific expectations—when he spoke of peace, paid taxes, and predicted his death—they felt let down. Josh warns us that when we expect God to act a certain way and he doesn’t, we can mistake his silence or different plans as failure. But God often works beyond what we imagine, even if we don’t see it at the time.
Secondly, Josh talks about agendas—what we want God to do. He says it’s common today to see faith as something that fixes our problems, rather than submitting to the one who is greater than our needs. Like King Saul, who turned to a medium when God didn’t respond, we risk making our desires more important than God himself. But real faith, Josh says, is like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s: trust in God, even if he doesn’t do what we hope.
Quoting Romans 10:9, Josh reminds us that salvation comes not just from believing in Jesus, but acknowledging him as Lord—a word that means master, leader, the one in charge. This, he says, isn’t a level-up in Christianity—it’s the foundation.
He challenges us not to treat Jesus like a part-time saviour who fits into our plans, but as the one who guides every part of our lives. In a world that tells us we should be our own masters, Josh reminds us that if Jesus isn’t Lord, something else is—often without us realizing it.
Ultimately, Jesus as Lord isn’t about control—it’s about love, freedom, and life to the full.
Josh closes by challenging us to consider if Jesus is truly Lord over all of our lives, not just the parts we’re comfortable handing over. Even a 1% holdout is enough to hold us back. He encourages us to surrender fully, trusting that Jesus—who conquered death and offers abundant life—will do far more with our lives than we could ever manage on our own.