Hosanna: What Are You Hoping For?
On this Sunday, we gather with the thoughts of palms on our minds and questions in our hearts.
As Jesus enters Jerusalem, the crowds shout Hosanna—a word filled with joy, urgency, and longing. It is a prayer that means “save us” and “help us now.” The celebration is real, the hope sincere. And yet, beneath the praise lies a deeper question: What are we truly hoping for?
Drawing from Matthew 21:1–11 and Psalm 118:19–29, this service invites us to reflect on the tension at the heart of Palm Sunday. Jesus is welcomed as king, but not in the way the crowd expects. He comes not with force or spectacle, but in humility—riding a donkey, offering a different vision of power, peace, and salvation.
This message explores what happens when our hopes for God quietly turn into expectations we want God to fulfill. It asks us to consider:
What kind of Savior are we welcoming?
How do we respond when Jesus does not meet our expectations?
Are we willing to follow Christ even when the road leads where we did not plan to go?
Palm Sunday stands as a threshold—between joy and the cross, between celebration and surrender. It reminds us that while salvation does not always arrive as we imagine, Christ still comes with faithfulness, mercy, and transforming love.
