“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”^[b]
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
- Luke 19:38
 
Every word is right, but every expectation is askew.
 
Today’s passage captures the refrain of the exultant crowd as Jesus approaches Jerusalem. They quote the psalmist as they sing: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 118:26).
 
And they re-enact the joyous section of the psalm. They lay palm branches down for Jesus: “With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up^[c] to the horns of the altar” (Psalm 118:27b). They echo the praise offered to God by the psalmist: “You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you” (Psalm 118:28).
 
They saw in this moment the fulfillment of their hopes and dreams. God was doing for them what they’d always longed to see. Freedom. Dignity. The restoration of God’s blessing in their lives.
 
But we can see the shadows hiding on the edges of the narrative. The celebration and praise in Psalm 118 came in this challenging context:
 
I will not die but live,
    and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
The Lord has chastened me severely,
    but he has not given me over to death.
Open for me the gates of the righteous;
    I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord
    through which the righteous may enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
    you have become my salvation.
- Psalm 118:17-21
 
Jesus would become our salvation—yes! But he would exit (not enter) the gates as he was led out of Jerusalem for his execution, despite being righteous. He was given over to death. This is not what the crowd expected.
 
But that’s not the end of his story, of our story. Jesus came to life on the other side of death, bringing hope and love and joy to the world. The crowd on Palm Sunday was so close.
 
How have your expectations of Jesus changed over the years? How does that affect your relationships with God and your friends and family?