Ever found yourself expecting God to act a certain way, only to be surprised—or even disappointed—when he takes a completely different approach? You're not alone. In this Palm Sunday special, we explore the profound tension between our expectations of God and his actual plans, looking at how Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem reveals a radically different kind of power than the crowds were hoping for.

Key Timestamps

• 00:00:00 - Welcome and introduction to Palm Sunday
• 00:02:04 - The Triumphal Entry: What happened when Jesus rode into Jerusalem
• 00:09:00 - Part 1: When God doesn't meet our expectations
• 00:25:00 - Part 2: What if Jesus' power looks nothing like ours?
• 00:36:00 - Part 3: Are you actually ready for what God wants to do?
• 00:42:00 - Conversation Street: Practical application and questions
• 00:48:00 - Closing thoughts and invitation to Easter Sunday service

Episode HighlightsThe Unexpected King

Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as crowds waved palm branches shouting "Hosanna!" (literally "save us now"). They expected a conquering warrior who would overthrow Roman rule. Instead, Jesus came offering a different kind of freedom—not just political liberation, but freedom from the darkness separating them from God.

When Prayers Seem Unanswered

Sharon shared honestly about her own journey with Crowd Church: "It's taken me five years to get my head around the fact that God does have me involved in this." Sometimes we miss what God is doing because we're looking for him to show up in ways that match our expectations, not his plans.

When our expectations aren't met, we often respond with disappointment or even anger. The pathway through disappointment often involves surrender—not giving up, but giving over. As Sharon put it: "That point of surrender just completely changes how I feel about something, not in a 'I give up then' kind of way, but in a hopeful way."

Power Redefined

In ancient times, kings rode horses as symbols of military might. Donkeys were for peacetime—Jesus made a deliberate statement about what kind of king he was.

"If he wanted to, he could have gone in on a horse, just overthrown everybody," Matt explained. "But he didn't just conquer a Roman king. He conquered so much more by doing it a different way."

Jesus shows us strength through vulnerability, service, and sacrifice—challenging our worldly understanding of power and leadership.

The Challenge of Following Jesus

Following Jesus isn't a "bolt-on" to improve your existing life—it's a complete surrender of control. "Jesus said, 'Follow me,'" Sharon reminded us. "So it's him that's leading and we follow... I like to be in control really. I think we all like to be in control, but actually to follow Jesus, it's kind of like giving up that control."

Jenny added: "Being a Christian is a total amazing, incredible adventure. And I'm so glad God has me on this adventure, but easy it is not, what I expected it is not."

Walking Through Holy Week

As we journey from Palm Sunday to Easter, we're invited to hold our expectations loosely. The same crowds that shouted "Hosanna!" would shout "Crucify him!" by Friday when Jesus failed to meet their political expectations.

But Sunday wasn't the end of the story, and neither was Friday. Easter was coming.

Whatever expectations you bring to God this week, be prepared to have them transformed. The God who entered Jerusalem on a donkey rather than a war horse is still confounding our expectations today—not to disappoint us, but to give us something far greater than we could imagine.

Find more information about this service and our upcoming Easter celebrations on our website.

https://crowd.church/talks/palm-sunday-when-god-doesnt-meet-our-expectations

Keywords: Palm Sunday, Jesus triumphal entry, expectations of God, disappointment with prayer, surrender to God, upside-down kingdom, Jesus on donkey, holy week, following Jesus, Christian discipleship, Liverpool church, Crowd Church, Easter preparation