When God Doesn't Meet Our Expectations (Palm Sunday Special)

Time Stamps

• 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?

• 00:48:00 - Closing thoughts and invitation to Easter Sunday service

Bible Verses Referenced:

• Matthew 21:1-11 (The Triumphal Entry)

• Zechariah 9:9 ("See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey")

• James on prayer: "You do not have because you do not ask" (James 4:2-3)

When God Doesn't Meet Our Expectations

Ever thrown a big welcome party for someone who then did the complete opposite of what you expected? That's essentially what happened on the first Palm Sunday.

Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey while crowds waved palm branches and shouted "Hosanna!" (which literally means "save us now"). They were expecting a conquering king who would overthrow Roman rule. What they got instead was something far more profound – but initially far more disappointing to their expectations.

When God Doesn't Meet Our Expectations

We've all been there, haven't we? We pray for something specific, believing God will act in a particular way, and then... nothing happens. Or worse, the opposite happens.

Sharon shared honestly about her own journey with Crowd Church: "I'm not someone who has a massive online presence... 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.

The crowds welcoming Jesus had specific expectations too – they wanted freedom from Roman oppression. But from God's perspective, that wasn't their greatest need. Their deeper oppression was internal: the darkness separating them from relationship with God.

When our expectations aren't met, we often respond with disappointment or even anger. Sharon described how in her own spiritual journey, she'd think, "God, why are you making this more difficult for me? I'm trying to get close to you." She expected God to instantly fix her struggles, but instead he took her on a longer journey that ultimately brought deeper freedom.

The pathway through disappointment with God often involves surrender – not giving up, but giving over. "I definitely know for me that point of surrender just completely changes how I feel about something," Sharon explained. "Not in a 'I give up then' kind of way, but in a hopeful way that as I give it to God, he can do something with it."

What If Jesus' Power Looks Nothing Like Ours?

The image of Jesus on a donkey is striking for what it reveals about God's understanding of power. In ancient times, kings rode horses as symbols of military might. Donkeys were for peacetime – a deliberate statement about what kind of king Jesus was.

"My understanding of Jesus is very much, 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 at that point in time. He conquered so much more by doing it a different way."

Jesus turned power upside down. Throughout his ministry, he taught that true greatness comes through serving others. As he entered Jerusalem, he demonstrated this radical principle – the king of the universe arriving not with military might, but in humble service.

This challenges our own understanding of power. We see strength in assertiveness, authority, and control. Jesus shows us strength through vulnerability, service, and sacrifice.

"I like to try and imagine if all world leaders and all leaders at various levels actually acted like this, where their main concern was serving the people," Sharon reflected. "How different would the world look? It would be amazing."

This isn't just theoretical – it's practical. Jenny shared about a leadership course she'd been taking called "Servant Leadership," noting that even major corporations have found this model effective. Leadership that serves doesn't mean being spineless or weak – Jesus turned over tables in righteous anger – but it does mean having a heart focused on others rather than self.

Are You Actually Ready for What God Wants to Do?

Many people today maintain a kind of ambivalence about God – maybe he exists, maybe he doesn't, but either way it's not particularly relevant to daily life.

Palm Sunday challenges that ambivalence. As Jenny put it, " Jesus' life is a challenge, that you can't be ambivalent about this person who came and lived this radical life and died this radical death. It is inviting us to think more deeply: if God is prepared to do that for you, what are you prepared to do for him? "

Following Jesus isn't just a "bolt-on" to improve your existing life. It's an invitation to surrender control and follow where he leads. "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."

The journey won't always be easy. When the mother of two disciples asked Jesus for special positions for her sons, Jesus responded, "You don't know what you're asking. They'll have to drink a cup of suffering." Those disciples did continue following Jesus, living radically different lives because of him.

"Being a Christian is a total amazing, incredible adventure. And I'm so glad God has me on this adventure," Jenny said, "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!" on Sunday 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.

Perhaps you've been disappointed when God hasn't acted as you expected. Maybe you've found yourself going through the motions of faith without truly opening yourself to what God wants to do. Holy Week invites us into a deeper story – God's story – where power is found in surrender and where preparing our hearts matters more than outward expressions.

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.

Ready to explore more? Join us next Sunday for our Easter service as we continue the story and discover how resurrection changes everything.