A King for the Nations

·31 min·3 clips

Why did Jesus ride a baby donkey instead of a war horse like Judas Maccabees?

The episode is a sermon from St Mary's Basingstoke titled 'A King for the Nations', focusing on Matthew 21:1-11. It begins with a reading of the Palm Sunday passage where Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey. The speaker structures the talk into two parts: the procession and the coronation. He sets the scene by describing the Passover crowds, citing historian Josephus's claim of 2.5 million pilgrims. The speaker emphasizes Jesus's deliberate choice of a donkey, fulfilling Zechariah 9:9, to contrast with Judas Maccabees's war horse entry during the Maccabean revolt. He explains the crowd's actions, such as spreading cloaks and branches, and their shouts of 'Hosanna' from Psalm 118, meaning 'save us now'. The speaker notes the crowd's expectation of a political messiah to overthrow Rome. He then discusses Jesus's cleansing of the temple, driving out money changers to restore it as a house of prayer, particularly for Gentiles. The coronation section shifts to Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection, described as his true glorification. The speaker references John's Gospel and Revelation, highlighting John's vision of Jesus as a slain lamb rather than a lion. He connects this to early Christians under Roman persecution, reassuring them of Jesus's kingship. The sermon ends with four takeaways: the value of Psalms and worship songs, Jesus's universal mission, the need to cry 'Hosanna' in troubles, and the call for Christians to embrace sacrifice. A personal anecdote about a woman returning to faith on her deathbed illustrates Jesus's acceptance. The closing prayer cites Hebrews 2:9, affirming Jesus's coronation through suffering.

As heard by us

A Palm Sunday sermon follows Jesus from public acclaim toward a kingdom that saves, judges, and surprises.

Palm Sunday comes into focus as a question of kingship: what sort of king Jesus is, and what sort of kingdom he brings. The review follows Matthew 21 from the donkey and the crowd's cry of "Hosanna to the King of David" into the temple, where Jesus overturns tables and…

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Why you'd press play

When you want Palm Sunday to unsettle the crowd's idea of a king, press play.

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