Shownotes
Welcome to Day 2849 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2849 – “Beholds He Comes!” based on Zechariah 9:9
Putnam Church Message – 03/29/2026 Luke’s Account of the Good News – “Behold He Comes!” Last week, we continued our study of the ministry of Jesus Christ with a message titled “There is Always Hope!” We learned that the heart of discipleship is: Where Jesus is, hopelessness is never final. Today, we are switching from our study of Luke for two weeks to focus on Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday. Today’s message is: “Behold He Comes!” covers the entire Passion Week, and our launching point today is Zechariah 9:9: Zion’s Coming King 9 Rejoice, O people of Zion![a] Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious,[b] yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt. Opening Prayer Lord Jesus, as we gather around Your Word, quiet our hearts and open our eyes. Help us to see more than a parade, more than a cross, more than an empty tomb. Help us to see You as You truly are: the promised King, the suffering Savior, and the risen Lord. Take the familiar story and make it fresh again. Speak to the weary, awaken the distracted, convict the proud, comfort the grieving, and call all of us to follow You more fully. In Your holy name we pray. Amen. Introduction Over the next two weeks, we step away briefly from Luke for a special journey—from Palm Sunday to Easter/Resurrection Sunday, from the shouts of “Hosanna!” to the cry of “It is finished,” and then to the glorious announcement, “He is not here; He is risen!” The title of this message is “Behold He Comes!” That is really the heartbeat of Passion Week. Behold, He comes into Jerusalem. Behold, He comes to the temple. Behold, He comes to the table with His disciples. Behold, He comes into Gethsemane. Behold, He comes before Pilate. Behold, He comes to the cross. Behold, He comes out of the grave. The four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—tell this story in harmony, though each gives us a different camera angle. Matthew highlights prophecy fulfilled. Mark emphasizes the movement and urgency of the King’s mission. Luke gives us the tears of Jesus and the tragedy of a city that did not recognize its moment of visitation. John reminds us that many in the crowd were stirred because Jesus had raised Lazarus, and now excitement was running through Jerusalem like wildfire. But Palm Sunday is not just a happy parade. It is the beginning of holy collision. Hope and misunderstanding meet on the same street. Praise and rejection are only days apart. The palms wave on Sunday, but the cross stands on Friday. And yet through it all, one truth remains: Jesus is not swept along by events. He comes deliberately. He comes knowingly. He comes lovingly. He comes for us. Main Point 1: He Comes as the Promised King When Jesus approached Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives near Bethphage and Bethany, He sent disciples to bring a donkey and its colt. This was not accidental. This was not random transportation. This was revelation. Matthew 21 points us directly to Zechariah 9:9 “Look, your King is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey.” Now, in the ancient world, kings often arrived in one of two ways. If they came on a war horse, they came in conquest. If they came on a donkey, they came in peace. Jesus is King, yes—but not the kind of king the crowds fully expected. The Jews wanted a throne. -> Jesus came with humility. The Jews wanted Rome overthrown. -> Jesus came to overthrow sin and death. The Jews wanted political rescue. -> Jesus came for eternal redemption. Can you picture the scene? The road is dusty. Cloaks are spread down like a makeshift royal carpet. Branches are cut and waved. Psalm 118 is rising from the crowd: “Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” And John tells us specifically that these were palm branches—symbols of joy, victory, and national hope. Similar to us waving an American flag during a parade. Expanded Narrative For first-century Jews, Jerusalem was not merely a city. It was the city of promise, the city of David, the city of the temple. And when Jesus comes riding down the slope of the Mount of Olives, every prophetic nerve in Israel starts to tremble. The prophets had spoken. The covenant had promised. The generations had waited. -> And now Behold He Comes! But notice the manner of His coming. There is no sword in His hand. No army behind Him. No chariot rumbling over stone. Only a borrowed animal, willing disciples, and a crowd that understands just enough to cheer—but not enough yet to surrender. That still happens today, doesn’t it? People are often happy to celebrate Jesus when they think He will fit their expectations. We welcome Him when He seems useful to our plans. We praise Him when the blessings are flowing. But when He comes humbly, when He confronts us, when He does not serve our agenda, we do not always know what to do with Him. Illustration It is a little like someone expecting the President to arrive in a black limousine with security and flashing lights—but instead he shows up alone, in plain clothes, and sits down at the table to listen. Some would miss the significance because they expected power to look louder. Jesus comes with authority, but it is wrapped in humility. Object Lesson Hold up a gold-looking crown in one hand and a simple rope halter or small wooden yoke in the other. Say: “Which one looks more like a king? Most of us would choose the crown. But Palm Sunday tells us that God’s King often comes in a form we do not expect. The crown is real—but the path to it runs through humility.” Related Scriptures- Genesis 49:10–11 hints at kingship tied to the colt.
- Psalm 118:25–26 gives us the language of “Hosanna” and blessing.
- Zechariah 9:9 declares the humble King.
- Philippians 2:6–8 tells us Christ humbled Himself.
- 1 Samuel 16:7: people look on outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
- Isaiah 53:3: He is a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
- John 2:24–25: Jesus knew what was in each person heart.
- Luke 13:34: Jesus laments over Jerusalem like a mother gathering her children.
Transcripts
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.
Day: /:Luke’s Account of the Good News – “Behold He Comes!”
Last week, we continued our study of the ministry of Jesus Christ with a message titled “There is Always Hope!” We learned that the heart of discipleship is: Where Jesus is, hopelessness is never final.
Today, we are switching from our study of Luke for two weeks to focus on Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday. Today’s message is: “Behold He Comes!” covers the entire Passion Week, and our launching point today is Zechariah 9:9:
Zion’s Coming King
9 Rejoice, O people of Zion![a]
Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious,[b]
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—
riding on a donkey’s colt.
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, as we gather around Your Word, quiet our hearts and open our eyes. Help us to see more than a parade, more than a cross, more than an empty tomb. Help us to see You as You truly are: the promised King, the suffering Savior, and the risen Lord. Take the familiar story and make it fresh again. Speak to the weary, awaken the distracted, convict the proud, comfort the grieving, and call all of us to follow You more fully. In Your holy name we pray. Amen.
Introduction
Over the next two weeks, we step away briefly from Luke for a special journey—from Palm Sunday to Easter/Resurrection Sunday, from the shouts of “Hosanna!” to the cry of “It is finished,” and then to the glorious announcement, “He is not here; He is risen!”
The title of this message is “Behold He Comes!”
That is really the heartbeat of Passion Week.
Behold, He comes into Jerusalem.
Behold, He comes to the temple.
Behold, He comes to the table with His disciples.
Behold, He comes into Gethsemane.
Behold, He comes before Pilate.
Behold, He comes to the cross.
Behold, He comes out of the grave.
The four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—tell this story in harmony, though each gives us a different camera angle. Matthew highlights prophecy fulfilled. Mark emphasizes the movement and urgency of the King’s mission. Luke gives us the tears of Jesus and the tragedy of a city that did not recognize its moment of visitation. John reminds us that many in the crowd were stirred because Jesus had raised Lazarus, and now excitement was running through Jerusalem like wildfire.
But Palm Sunday is not just a happy parade. It is the beginning of holy collision. Hope and misunderstanding meet on the same street. Praise and rejection are only days apart. The palms wave on Sunday, but the cross stands on Friday.
And yet through it all, one truth remains: Jesus is not swept along by events. He comes deliberately. He comes knowingly. He comes lovingly. He comes for us.
Main Point 1: He Comes as the Promised King
When Jesus approached Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives near Bethphage and Bethany, He sent disciples to bring a donkey and its colt. This was not accidental. This was not random transportation. This was revelation.
Matthew 21 points us directly to Zechariah 9:9
“Look, your King is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey.”
Now, in the ancient world, kings often arrived in one of two ways. If they came on a war horse, they came in conquest. If they came on a donkey, they came in peace. Jesus is King, yes—but not the kind of king the crowds fully expected.
The Jews wanted a throne. -> Jesus came with humility.
The Jews wanted Rome overthrown. -> Jesus came to overthrow sin and death.
The Jews wanted political rescue. -> Jesus came for eternal redemption.
Can you picture the scene? The road is dusty. Cloaks are spread down like a makeshift royal carpet. Branches are cut and waved. Psalm 118 is rising from the crowd: “Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”
And John tells us specifically that these were palm branches—symbols of joy, victory, and national hope. Similar to us waving an American flag during a parade.
Expanded Narrative
For first-century Jews, Jerusalem was not merely a city. It was the city of promise, the city of David, the city of the temple. And when Jesus comes riding down the slope of the Mount of Olives, every prophetic nerve in Israel starts to tremble.
The prophets had spoken. The covenant had promised. The generations had waited. -> And now Behold He Comes!
But notice the manner of His coming. There is no sword in His hand. No army behind Him. No chariot rumbling over stone. Only a borrowed animal, willing disciples, and a crowd that understands just enough to cheer—but not enough yet to surrender.
That still happens today, doesn’t it?
People are often happy to celebrate Jesus when they think He will fit their expectations. We welcome Him when He seems useful to our plans. We praise Him when the blessings are flowing. But when He comes humbly, when He confronts us, when He does not serve our agenda, we do not always know what to do with Him.
Illustration
It is a little like someone expecting the President to arrive in a black limousine with security and flashing lights—but instead he shows up alone, in plain clothes, and sits down at the table to listen. Some would miss the significance because they expected power to look louder.
Jesus comes with authority, but it is wrapped in humility.
Object Lesson
Hold up a gold-looking crown in one hand and a simple rope halter or small wooden yoke in the other.
Say: “Which one looks more like a king? Most of us would choose the crown. But Palm Sunday tells us that God’s King often comes in a form we do not expect. The crown is real—but the path to it runs through humility.”
Related Scriptures
Genesis:Psalm 118:25–26 gives us the language of “Hosanna” and blessing.
Zechariah 9:9 declares the humble King.
Philippians 2:6–8 tells us Christ humbled Himself.
Summary of Main Point 1
Palm Sunday announces that Jesus is not merely a teacher entering a city. He is the long-awaited King entering His rightful place. But He comes with humility, peace, and purpose. He does not come to match human expectations; He comes to fulfill divine promises. The question for us is not, “Will we admire this King?” but “Will we receive Him on His terms?”
Main Point 2: He Comes and Sees What Others Cannot See
Luke gives us one of the most moving moments in the triumphal entry. While the crowd rejoices, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem.
Luke:Think about that. The crowd is shouting. The disciples are praising God for the miracles they have seen. The Pharisees are telling Jesus to quiet the people. And in the middle of all that noise—Jesus is crying.
Why?
Because He sees what they do not see.
They see a parade. -> He sees a city on the brink of judgment.
They see excitement. -> He sees hardened hearts.
They see what they want Him to do. -> He sees what He must do.
John tells us that many in the crowd were stirred because of the raising of Lazarus. That miracle had electrified public imagination. “If He can call a dead man out of the grave after four days, surely, He can take Jerusalem! Surely, He can establish the kingdom now!”
But Jesus knows that many voices shouting “Hosanna” do not yet understand holiness, repentance, surrender, or the cost of redemption.
Expanded Narrative
Jerusalem had a history. It was the city of priests, sacrifice, pilgrimage, Scripture, memory, and hope. To an ancient Israelite, it was the place where heaven and earth seemed to meet. Yet it had also become a place where religious familiarity could hide spiritual blindness.
The tragedy of Palm Sunday is not that Jesus was rejected by pagans who knew nothing of God. The tragedy is that He was rejected in the holy city, among people who had every reason to recognize Him.
As the Church, which supplants Israel, there is a warning there for us.
It is possible to be around church things and still miss Jesus.
It is possible to know the songs and still not know the Savior.
It is possible to wave a palm branch in public and resist His rule in private.
Jesus sees beneath the surface. He sees the heart.
Illustration
Imagine a doctor entering a room where the family is celebrating because a patient’s symptoms seem to have improved. The smiles are real, but the doctor has seen the scan. He knows there is a deeper problem that must be addressed. His concern is no less loving because it is more serious. In fact, it is more loving.
That is Jesus over Jerusalem.
His tears are not weakness. They are holy love. He is not coldly announcing judgment. He is grieving a city that would not come to peace.
Object Lesson
Hold up a Palm Branch and beside it a handkerchief or cloth.
“Palm Sunday holds both together. There is celebration—but there are also tears. Jesus receives praise, but He also grieves. Why? Because He sees past the appearances and into reality.”
Related Scriptures
1 Samuel 16:7: people look on outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
Isaiah 53:3: He is a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
John 2:24–25: Jesus knew what was in each person heart.
Luke:Summary of Main Point 2
Jesus comes not only as King, but as the One who sees truly. He sees the spiritual condition of the city, the shallowness of the crowd, and the coming pain of the cross. His tears reveal His heart. He does not come merely to be celebrated; He comes to save. He still sees us fully today—and still loves us enough to confront what is broken.
Main Point 3: He Comes to Bear the Cross and Win the True Victory
Palm Sunday makes no sense without Good Friday.
The branches, the cloaks, the shouts, the songs—they all lead somewhere. They lead to the upper room, where Jesus breaks bread and says, “This is my body.” They lead to Gethsemane, where His sweat falls like drops of blood. They lead to betrayal, false witnesses, Roman soldiers, a crown of thorns, and a cross outside the city wall.
This is the shock of Passion Week: The King who enters Jerusalem to praise does not seize a throne—He embraces a cross.
Mark:That is why He comes.
Expanded Narrative
In ancient Israel, sacrifice was woven into the life of worship. Lambs were offered. Blood was shed. The Passover story taught that deliverance required substitution. In Exodus 12, the blood of the lamb marked the homes of God’s people, and judgment passed over them.
Now, during Passover week, Jesus enters Jerusalem. That timing is no accident.
John the Baptist had already declared, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Now the Lamb has come to the city where lambs are slain.
Can you feel the weight of that?
The palms say “King.”
The table says “Covenant.”
The garden says “Submission.”
The cross says “Sacrifice.”
And together they reveal salvation.
Isaiah 53 had foretold it: “He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.”
Matthew shows betrayal and fulfillment.
Mark shows abandonment and suffering.
Luke shows mercy even in pain—Jesus telling the thief, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”
John shows sovereignty—Jesus declaring, “It is finished.”
He was not trapped. He was offering Himself.
Illustration
Imagine a firefighter running into a burning house. He does not stand outside and shout instructions from a safe distance. He goes in because someone is trapped. Or think of a surgeon who must cut in order to heal. The wound is painful, but the purpose is life.
Jesus did not save us from a distance. He entered the fire. He took the wound. He bore the cost.
Object Lesson
Hold up a palm branch in one hand and a small wooden cross in the other.
Say: “The crowd wanted this”—lift the palm—“a visible victory./ But Jesus came for this”—lift the cross—“the deeper victory./ Palm branches celebrate hope,/ but the cross accomplishes salvation.”
Summary of Main Point 3
Jesus comes not merely to inspire the crowd, but to redeem the world. The true victory of Passion Week is not the parade of Sunday but the sacrifice of Friday. He comes as the Passover Lamb, the suffering Servant, and the ransom for sinners. The cross is not the interruption of His mission; it is the center of it.
Main Point 4: He Comes Out of the Grave as the Living Lord
If the story ended at the cross, we might still admire Jesus, but we would not have living hope.
But on the first day of the week, the women came to the tomb. The stone was rolled away. The body was gone. Angels announced what history had never heard before in this way: “He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!”
Matthew tells us of the earthquake and angelic announcement.
Mark preserves the astonishment and trembling.
Luke highlights the women and the reminder of Jesus’ own words.
John gives us Mary Magdalene in the garden, Peter and John running to the tomb, and later Jesus speaking peace to His disciples. The One who came into Jerusalem on a donkey now comes out of the grave transformed.
Expanded Narrative
The resurrection is not a sentimental ending tacked onto a sad week. It is the Father’s declaration that Jesus is exactly who He said He was.
The resurrection means the cross worked.
The resurrection means sin was dealt with.
The resurrection means death does not have final authority.
The resurrection means the King who came still reigns.
In the ancient world, graves were final. Stones were meant to seal endings. But God turned the tomb into a doorway of new creation.
And that changes everything for ordinary people.
Because guilt does not get the last word now.
Grief does not get the last word.
Shame does not get the last word.
Death does not get the last word.
Jesus does.
Illustration
Have you ever gone through a night that felt endless? Maybe it was a hospital night. Maybe it was a season of loss. Maybe it was a time when you wondered if joy would ever return. Then morning comes—not because you forced it, but because the sun rises.
Easter is God’s morning breaking into the longest night of humanity.
Object Lesson
Hold up a small stone and an empty white cloth.
Say: “This stone represents what seems final. This cloth represents what was left behind. Easter tells us that what looked sealed is now open, and what looked finished was only the beginning.”
Summary of Main Point 4
Jesus comes out of the grave as the risen Lord. Easter is the vindication of the Son, the defeat of death, and the foundation of Christian hope. The King who came in humility and suffered on the cross now lives forevermore. Our faith is not built on memory alone, but on a living Savior.
Applications and Takeaways – Behold He Come deliberately, knowingly, lovingly, for us.
1.) Receive the King as He Really Is, Not as You Merely Wish Him to Be
Many in Jerusalem welcomed Jesus selectively. They wanted deliverance without surrender, victory without repentance, kingship without a cross.
We do the same. We want Jesus to bless our plans, but not rewrite them. We want comfort, but not conviction. We want resurrection joy, but not crucified discipleship.
Yet Jesus says in Luke 9:23, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”
Story and Illustration
It is like hiring a contractor to fix only the room guests will see, while refusing to let him into the rooms with hidden rot and water damage. The house may look presentable for a while, but the deeper problem remains.
Jesus does not come for cosmetic repair. He comes for transformation.
Summary Narrative
To receive Jesus truly is to welcome His authority, His truth, His cleansing, and His grace. He is not a mascot for our dreams. He is the King of our lives.
Trust Jesus in the In-Between Days
Palm Sunday is hopeful. Good Friday is painful. Saturday is silent. Easter is victorious.
Many of us live on Saturday.
We know God has promised something. We have seen signs of His faithfulness. But right now, we are in the waiting, the confusion, the grief, the unanswered prayer, the unfinished story.
The disciples knew that feeling. Friday looked like a total loss. Saturday felt like silence. But Sunday was already on God’s calendar.
Scriptures
Psalm 30:5: “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
2 Corinthians 4:14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you.
Illustration
A farmer does not dig up the seed the day after planting and declare failure because nothing green is visible yet. He trusts that hidden work is still taking place.
God often works that way in us. In the silence, roots are growing. In the darkness, life is stirring.
Summary Narrative
Do not judge God’s faithfulness by Friday alone. Do not build your theology on Saturday silence. Resurrection is still part of the story.
Carry the Hope of the Risen Christ into a Hurting World
The Palm Sunday crowd gathered because news had spread. The Easter witnesses went because news had broken open the world.
And now the church is called to bear that news.
There are people all around us carrying grief, fear, guilt, cynicism, and quiet despair. They need more than advice. They need hope. They need to hear that Jesus still comes into broken lives, still forgives sinners, still raises what seems dead, and still offers peace.
Scriptures
John:Story and Illustration
Think of someone sitting in a dark room. You do not need to lecture the darkness. You turn on the light. That is what the resurrection message is. It does not deny the darkness. It overcomes it.
When a Christian walks into a hospital room, a funeral home, a struggling home, or a lonely conversation with resurrection hope, that person becomes a witness that despair is not final.
Summary Narrative
Because Christ is risen, we do not merely survive this world—we bear witness in it. We become people of courage, compassion, and living hope.
Conclusion
So, church, behold Him.
Behold Him riding the colt, fulfilling prophecy.
Behold Him receiving praise, yet weeping over the city.
Behold Him in the upper room, in the garden, before the accusers, under the crossbeam.
Behold Him on the cross, bearing our sin.
Behold Him in the tomb.
Behold Him risen in glory.
This is not merely the story of what happened to Jesus. This is the story of what Jesus has done for us.
He comes as King.
He comes with tears.
He comes with a cross.
He comes with resurrection life.
And He still comes today—to hearts that will receive Him, to sinners who will trust Him, to weary saints who need hope again.
So let us not merely wave branches from a distance. Let us bow our hearts in surrender and say, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, we behold You today. We behold You as the promised King, the man of sorrows, the Lamb of God, and the risen Lord. Forgive us for the times we have wanted You on our terms instead of receiving You on Yours. Teach us to trust You in the painful middle places, to cling to the cross, and to live in resurrection hope. Help us carry this good news into our homes, our church, our community, and our world. May our lives say with joy and faith, “Behold, He comes!” In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Corinthians: