Lent Devotional

My name is Reagan McConnell. My husband, Paul, and I have been attending Fellowship for five years, and I serve on the leadership team for the Young Adults ministry.

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John 12:12–19 places us in the middle of a moment filled with hope, anticipation, and noise. A large crowd gathers as Jesus enters Jerusalem, laying palm branches along the road and lifting their voices in praise. They welcome Him with the language of royalty, hailing Him as King, full of expectation for what He might do for them. This is a city longing for deliverance, convinced that something decisive is about to happen.

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Yet, Jesus' entrance challenges these expectations. He does not arrive on a warhorse or with visible power, but on a donkey's colt — quietly fulfilling prophecy and embodying a kingdom marked by peace rather than force. His entrance reveals the kind of king He is: humble, deliberate, and unwavering in His purpose, even as that purpose leads Him closer to the cross.

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This moment of celebration stands in contrast to what is coming, when many of these same voices will fall silent. That silence matters. The cheers fade not because Jesus fails, but because He refuses to meet expectations shaped by power, control, and worldly victory. His gentleness, grace, and truth come at a cost — His life — and He willingly pays it for the very people who struggle to remain faithful when His way becomes difficult.

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This passage invites us to look honestly at our own worship: What are we hoping Jesus will do for us? What kind of king are we truly welcoming? Where might we resist Him when He challenges our assumptions, priorities, or attachments to the world? Jesus still calls us to follow Him — not as a king who conforms to our expectations, but as the King who redefines them.

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Palm Sunday draws us into the joy of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, where He publicly fulfills prophecy (Zechariah 9:9) and reveals the heart of His kingdom. Welcomed with celebration, Jesus enters not with force, but with humility, riding in peace as the promised King. When Jesus makes a triumphant entry into our hearts, His Spirit begins an ongoing work within us. He shapes how we love, how we extend mercy, and how we pursue peace in a world marked by division and pain. Palm Sunday invites us not only to celebrate who Jesus is, but to reflect on how His presence is forming us — calling us to live as people who carry His humility, compassion, and peace wherever we go.