Behold Your King | The Last Kingdom – Week 9 (Palm Sunday)

The crowd was ready.

Energy.
Celebration.
Expectation.

Jesus rides into Jerusalem and everything feels clear.

This is the moment.
This is the King.
This is the breakthrough.

They shout, “Hosanna!”—save us now.
They lay down palm branches.
They declare Him King.

But while they’re celebrating…

They’re also misunderstanding.

Because the King they wanted
was not the King Jesus came to be.

They wanted a crown.
Victory.
Power.
Immediate change.

But Jesus was moving toward something else entirely.

A cross.

In Luke 19, Jesus receives their praise—
but then He does something unexpected.

He weeps.

Not because He’s being rejected…
but because they don’t recognize what God is actually doing.

They’re close enough to celebrate Him—
but far enough to miss Him.

And that tension runs through the entire moment.

In John 12, the crowd grows louder.
Momentum builds.
Hope rises.

But even His disciples don’t fully understand.

This isn’t just worship—
it’s expectation shaped by their own desires.

They’re not just seeing a Savior…

They’re envisioning a system.
A political rescue.
A version of Jesus that fits what they need.

But Jesus refuses to meet those expectations.

He fulfills prophecy in Zechariah 9—
a King who is righteous and victorious…

yet lowly.
Humble.
Riding on a donkey.

A King who doesn’t conquer through force—
but comes in peace.

And that misunderstanding reaches its peak in Philippians 2:

“He humbled himself…
even to death on a cross.”

This is the King no one expected.

Not rising to take power—
but descending to give His life.

Not forcing victory—
but surrendering for redemption.

Because Jesus didn’t come to be crowned by the crowd.

He came to be crucified for them.

And that reveals something uncomfortable:

It’s possible to celebrate Jesus…
and still resist His way.

To be emotionally close…
but spiritually misaligned.

To want what He offers—
without wanting how He leads.

So this week in The Last Kingdom, we’re faced with a personal question:

Do I want Jesus on my terms—
or am I willing to follow Him on His?

Because when you truly behold the King…

You realize:

The crowd wanted a crown.
Jesus chose a cross.