Hosanna! The King Comes to His City
Month 9: The Road to Jerusalem · Loving Others
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 12:12–15
12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 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!” 14 Finding a young donkey, Jesus sat on it, as it is written: 15 “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion. See, your King is coming, seated on the colt of a donkey.”
Memory Verse
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.””— Luke 19:10 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Hosea 6–8
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 267 of 365 — God longs for mercy, not just empty offerings.)The Heart of It
The long road to Jerusalem reaches its great moment. A huge crowd had come for the Passover. When they heard Jesus was coming, they took palm branches and went out to meet Him. They were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!" Hosanna means "save now!" It is a cry for rescue, and it is a shout of praise. They threw down palm branches and coats to make a royal road. And Jesus rode in on a young donkey, gentle and peaceful and lowly. He was doing just what Zechariah had said long ago. This is the day we call Palm Sunday. The King came right into His city, and the people welcomed Him.
But look closely at what kind of King the crowd was cheering. Many of them wanted a warrior to throw out the Romans. Instead, Jesus came to love and to save. He came to give His life for them. Within a week, some of these same voices would shout "Crucify Him!" They turned on Him because He was not the King they had imagined. Here is the lesson for loving others. Jesus' whole journey to Jerusalem was an act of love. And it was love for people who would betray Him, deny Him, and run away from Him. He kept coming. He kept giving. He kept loving. He did it not because they deserved it, but because that is who He is. When we love others, we are called to love like this King. Not only the kind and the grateful, but also the hard and the ungrateful. That is how Jesus loved the crowd that would turn on Him.
Around the Table
People waved palm branches and shouted "Hosanna!" because King Jesus was coming. Let's welcome Him too!
Let's do it: Wave your arms like palm branches and shout together, "Hosanna! Blessed is the King!"
"Hosanna" means "save now!" The crowd cheered Jesus as King. But they wanted a different kind of king.
Let's talk: Why might people be let down that Jesus came to bring peace and to save, instead of to fight?
Jesus rode in knowing that many cheering voices would soon cry "Crucify Him." And yet He still came in love.
Let's go deeper: What does it look like to love people who might let you down? Think of a friend, a brother or sister, or a classmate.
💬 Conversation Starter
Have you ever been excited about something, and then let down when it wasn't what you expected? How is that like the Palm Sunday crowd?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Some people ask why Jesus didn't set up a government and rule like a king, if He really was the Messiah. But the prophets had said the King would come "lowly… on a donkey" (). He would come to bring rescue, not war. Jesus matched the true prophecy. He just did not match what the people expected.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The triumphal entry is a sober picture of love that is not controlled by the response it gets. Jesus received the praise, and it did not puff Him up. He would receive the rejection, and it would not make Him retreat. His love flowed from His own steady character, not from the crowd's mood. That is the love your home most needs from you. Children will sometimes be the ungrateful crowd, especially as they grow. Their "hosannas" can flip to slammed doors. A father who loves like the King of Palm Sunday keeps coming. He keeps serving. He keeps the door open. And he draws his strength from Christ, not from their applause. Love that depends on being appreciated will collapse. Love anchored in Jesus lasts. Ask Him for that kind of durable, others-centered love this week.
Draws on: D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Pillar).
Let's Pray Together
"Jesus, You are the King who came in peace to save us. You even loved the crowd that would turn against You. Teach us to love others like that. Help us love the grateful and the grumpy, the kind and the hard. Hosanna! Save us, and make us loving. In Jesus' name, amen."
Jesus loved a crowd that would turn on Him. So I can love even when my love isn't returned.