Palm Sunday and the Weight of Expectations

They shouted “Hosanna!”

They waved their palm branches.

They laid down their cloaks as a sign of honor and welcome.

Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey—not a warhorse, not in chariots of gold, but humbly. And yet, the crowds celebrated him like a king. Why?

Because they had expectations.

Palm Sunday is a day full of pageantry and paradox. On one hand, we join the crowds in welcoming Jesus. We process with palms, we sing “Hosanna,” and we mark the beginning of Holy Week with beauty and hope. But if we pause long enough, we might sense something deeper stirring—a tension beneath the celebration.

The people expected a Messiah who would overthrow Roman rule. Someone who would restore Israel’s political power and usher in a new golden age. They wanted a conqueror, not a suffering servant. A king of power, not a man destined for a cross.

And so their “Hosannas” would turn to “Crucify him!” by the end of the week.

Why? Because Jesus didn’t meet their expectations.

He didn’t come to fulfill their vision. He came to reveal God’s.

That same dynamic is alive today.

We all carry expectations—of God, of faith, of others, of ourselves. We expect God to answer our prayers the way we want. We expect church to feel comfortable, predictable, affirming of our preferences. We expect our spiritual lives to move from strength to strength, rather than wilderness to wilderness.

But Palm Sunday invites us to ask:

• What happens when God doesn’t meet our expectations?
• What do we do when Jesus turns out to be more challenging than comforting?
• Are we willing to follow him, not just to Jerusalem, but to the cross?

Jesus didn’t come to meet the crowd’s expectations. He came to upend them.

He came to show that true kingship looks like servanthood.

That true victory looks like sacrifice.

That true power is found not in domination, but in love poured out.

Palm Sunday isn’t just a joyful parade—it’s the beginning of a journey through misunderstanding, betrayal, pain, and ultimately, resurrection. But we can’t rush ahead to Easter. Not yet.

We must sit with our expectations. Name them. Examine them. Offer them up.

Because if we only follow a Jesus who meets our expectations, we might miss the real Jesus—the one who transforms us not by confirming our assumptions, but by shattering them in grace.

So this Palm Sunday, wave your palm branch. Sing your hosanna. But let that cry also be a prayer:

“Save us—not just from the world, but from our limited expectations of you.”
“Come, not as we want, but as we need.”
“Lead us, even if the way leads through the cross.” Amen.