When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”  Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Mark 11:7-10 (NIV)

The crowd enthusiastically greeted Jesus by waving palm branches and shouting "Hosanna! Hosanna!" They saw Him as the long-awaited political Messiah who had come to deliver them from political oppression and restore Israel's honour as a nation. Jesus, however, had a distinct perspective of himself. He arrived on a donkey rather than a stallion as a military conqueror, signifying his humility as a servant.

The Kingdom of God is counterculture and opposite to common human expectations.

Jesus wasn't political, but he was undoubtedly dangerous and subversive. He was a disruptor as well as a change agent. We can see how radical Jesus was when He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves in the temple courtyards. He wanted the Temple to once more serve its original purpose as a house of prayer for all nations. The sad truth is that many churches have forgotten our Lord's passion to seek out and save the lost. Instead, we see a pervasive culture of merchandising and consumerism in place of holiness and devotion to God.

Too often we treat our Christian faith as if it were only a Sunday activity rather than a way of life. So, it comes as no surprise that many Christians are weak in faith and do not fully appreciate the significance of Christ's accomplished work.

The warm joy of the throng on Palm Sunday quickly turned into furious cries of outrage and denunciation on Good Friday as soon as the people saw their self-serving hope and expectations go unmet. Likewise, if we have a wrong view of God, we will become cold and calculative in our attitudes and ultimately in our actions.

Let Palm Sunday be a good reminder to have genuine faith and a relationship with God.