Message of the Week

The Little White Community Church

Scripture: Mark 11: 1-11

March 29, 2026

Message: “Hosanna! Hosanna!”

by Pastor George Gnade

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7:32

Introduction:

1. Today is Palm Sunday when we celebrate how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey.

a. When you read the gospel stories, did you ever consider the fact that Jesus walked everywhere He went?

According to this story, He didn’t even own a donkey.

No wonder He stayed in such good shape.

b. But Jesus knew His Bible. He knew every prophecy ever made about Him, including this prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9. It says: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey.”

2. This prophecy explains why Jesus needed a donkey.

a. Walking into Jerusalem would not do. So He told His disciples to go up the road to the next village where they would see one.

b. When the owner asked what they were doing, all they needed to say was: “The Master has need of it.” And they would be given permission to borrow it.”

3. This is the first lesson we can learn from this story.

a. Had Jesus arranged for this in advance? Or did He simply know the owner would never deny Jesus anything He needed?

b. Either way, can God rely on you and me that way? Are we always ready to help when needed?

4. I went to visit a man in the hospital when my battery went dead in the parking lot. When I told the man what happened, he immediately told me to take his car. He knew more about what to do than I did. He knew I was needed elsewhere. What a wonderful answer to prayer!

May God give us the same kind of helpful heart.

5. Let us turn our attention back to Jesus. You might think anybody could read this passage and try to fake it. If you read it carefully, that is not true.

A. Consider every aspect of this prophecy that had to be fulfilled. Riding on a donkey was only part of it.

1. In those days, if a king was at war, he would ride on a stallion. But if a king rode on a donkey, it meant he came in peace.

a. The people were crying out: “Hosanna to the Son of David.” They believed Jesus was their promised king. We know Jesus claimed to be the promised king.

b. But if he rode in on a horse, it would be taken to mean He came to fight. Or if He simply walked in, it would not fulfill the prophecy. But by riding in on the donkey, it would strongly imply He was the promised king.

2. The prophecy predicted He would come “gentle, riding on donkey.” That is how Jesus needed to come. That way they could not say He came to create trouble. It clearly meant He came in peace.

3. Thirdly, the passage says He would be “righteous, bringing salvation.”

a. Who but Jesus could fulfill that part of this prophecy? Who but Jesus ever lived a sinless life?

b. Who but Jesus could honestly say He came to bring salvation? If that meant He came to overthrow the Romans that might be considered a form of salvation. But that would require a war. The prophecy said He would come in a gentle way.

4. So what did the prophecy mean when it said He would come bringing “salvation?”

a. As Jesus rode into the city, the answer to that question remained unexplained. But we know the rest of the story. Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week when we will celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ.

b. Yes, Jesus would die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and offer salvation and eternal life to all who would believe in Him.

5. So no one else could ever fulfill this prophecy. It could not be faked. Jesus fulfilled it so we can know without any doubt that He is the one.

B. Now that we know how Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, let us consider how the people reacted.

1. First of all, remember the crowd was coming to celebrate the Passover feast. Others were coming with Jesus because He had raised Lazarus from the dead. As they merged together, it created a huge crowd indeed.

a. All the gospels share how Jesus did many miracles. And on other occasions, they had already tried to crown Jesus as their king. But Jesus never allowed that to happen.

b. On this occasion, by coming into Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey, it was giving the people the permission they wanted.

c. Casting palm branches in front of Him along with the cloaks they were wearing is exactly what the people had done on similar occasions in the O.T.

2. According to Mark 11: 9, it began with people crying out saying: “Hosanna!”

a. Literally it means: “Save us!” They wanted a king who would save them from their enemies. They hoped this miracle worker would be the one.

b. They didn’t stop at that. In vs. 9-10, they also cried: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David.”

c. Again, this identified what the O.T. had prophesied that the Messiah would definitely be from the line of David.

3. Yes, they knew what they wanted and believed He was the One. They just didn’t understand God’s plan.

In conclusion:

1. It all came to a head on this special day that we call Palm Sunday. Every year I try to explain this, but please remember this was a special day.

2. Jesus came to Jerusalem many times before and visited the temple many times before. This was the first time He came riding on a donkey while the people shouted: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

3. Jesus was intentionally bringing everything to a head.

At the beginning of His ministry, He told His mother: “My time has not yet come” (John 2:4).

4. But He was now ready to tell the people: “The hour has come” (John 12:23)! As we all know, Jesus would soon be arrested and tried and crucified.

a. Jesus could have stopped all of this. But this was the will of His Father in heaven. And He knew it was the only way to save us. As a result, He did not turn back. To the contrary, He “was obedient, even to death on the cross” (Phil. 2:8).

b. In I Peter 1: 18, it says: “You know it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed… but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

5. May God help us appreciate our great King and all He has done for us. Amen!