Sermon quotes on palm sunday

John Beavis

Alleluia, how the people cheer and palm leaves rustle as the king draws near.

Pope Benedict XVI

But Palm Sunday tells us that … it is the cross that is the true tree of life.

Marty Boller

One of the scariest questions in the Palm Sunday story…. How will I respond when Jesus comes riding humbly into my life? Will I recognize the time of God’s coming to me?  Will I recognize and welcome God’s personal visit? 

Sermon: “Palm Sunday: How Will You Respond?”

Dan Borchert

Billboards were not around. Telephones were not invented. The only way that they could have known that Jesus was coming was by word of mouth. That is impressive if you had all those people coming without our modern-day advertisement ideas.

Sermon: “Palm Sunday”

Rodney Buchanan

We will never know, this side of heaven, what terrible struggles took place in the spiritual world between Palm Sunday and Easter morning.

The Lion Is A Lamb: The Humility Of God.

G.K. Chesterton

When fishes flew and forests walked

And figs grew upon thorn,

Some moment when the moon was blood

Then surely I was born.

 

With monstrous head and sickening cry

And ears like errant wings,

The devil’s walking parody

On all four-footed things.

 

The tattered outlaw of the earth,

Of ancient crooked will;

Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,

I keep my secret still.

 

Fools! For I also had my hour;

One far fierce hour and sweet:

There was a shout about my ears,

And palms before my feet.

The Donkey

Tom Fuller

For much of Jesus’ ministry He urged people to be quiet about who He was. When He healed he told people not to say anything, when He confronted demons who recognized Him as the Son of God He told them to shut up. That’s because it wasn’t time for Him to declare Himself as the Messiah. On Palm Sunday the time had come.

Sermon: “The Significance Of Palm Sunday.”

Laura Gale

Palm Sunday is like a glimpse of Easter. It’s a little bit joyful after being somber during Lent.

Henry Hart Milman

Ride on, ride on in majesty!

In lowly pomp ride on to die;

O Christ, thy triumphs now begin

O’er captive death and conquered sin

Hymn “Ride on, ride on in majesty!”

Melvin Newland

In times of war conquerors would ride in chariots or upon prancing stallions. But in times of peace, the king would ride a colt to symbolize that peace prevailed. So, for Jesus to ride into Jerusalem upon a colt is to declare that He is a King proclaiming peace.

Sermon: “Palm Sunday – Jesus Was Weeping!”

William Penn

No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.

No Cross, No Crown, 1669.

Brian Rhea

Within the very liturgy of Palm Sunday, the tension is evident; traditionally, it is the only day with two Gospel readings—the enervating triumphal entry, and the tragic narrative of crucifixion. Palms turn to passion. It is the way God has designed it, for he “did not count equality with God something to be grasped.”

Richard Rohr

Remember finally, that the ashes that were on your forehead are created from the burnt palms of last Palm Sunday. New beginnings invariably come from old false things that are allowed to die.

Mark Schaeufele

Corrie ten Boom was once asked if it were difficult for her to remain humble. Her reply was simple. “When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey, and everyone was waving palm branches and throwing garments onto the road, and singing praises, do you think that for one moment it ever entered the head of that donkey that any of that was for him?” She continued, “If I can be the donkey on which Jesus Christ rides in his glory, I give him all the praise and all the honor.”

Sermon: “A Messiah Who Serves”

Source Unknown

Palm Sunday’s thought; Life is full of ups and downs. Glorify God during the ups and fully trust in Him during the downs.

Toparion of Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday

O Christ our God

When Thou didst raise Lazarus from the dead before Thy Passion,

Thou didst confirm the resurrection of the universe

Wherefore, we like children,

carry the banner of triumph and victory,

and we cry to Thee, O Conqueror of love,

Hosanna in the highest

Blessed is He that cometh

in the Name of the Lord

Augustus Toplady

When Christ entered into Jerusalem the people spread garments in the way: when He enters into our hearts, we pull off our own righteousness, and not only lay it under Christ’s feet but even trample upon it ourselves.

The works of Augustus M. Toplady”,1825, p.263.

N.T. Wright

The crowd went wild as they got nearer. This was the moment they had been waiting for.

All the old songs came flooding back, and they were singing, chanting, cheering and laughing. At last, their dreams were going to come true. But in the middle of it all, their leader wasn’t singing. He was in tears. Yes, their dreams were indeed coming true. But not in the way they had imagined. He was not the king they expected. Not like the monarchs of old, who sat on their jewelled and ivory thrones, dispensing their justice and wisdom.

Nor was he the great warrior-king some had wanted. He didn’t raise an army and ride to battle at its head.

He was riding on a donkey. And he was weeping – weeping for the dream that had to die, weeping for the sword that would pierce his supporters to the soul. Weeping for the kingdom that wasn’t coming as well as the kingdom that was.

Taken from the Article “Palm Sunday: Jesus Rides into the Perfect Storm”, ABC Religion & Ethics, April 7, 2017.

Still Looking for inspiration?

Consider checking out our illustrations page on Palm Sunday. 

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