That’s Who? Riding on a What? Why?

In this Palm Sunday message, Chuck Swindoll explores the dramatic and paradoxical entry of Jesus into Jerusalem recorded in Matthew 21. Swindoll begins by contrasting two historic scenes of surrender: the meeting of Generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox in 1865, and the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in the first century. While Lee arrived looking regal and Grant appeared disheveled, the scene was defined by surrender—a theme Swindoll applies to the believer’s response to Christ [15–20]. The sermon highlights the intentional humility of Jesus. Rather than entering on a gold-plated chariot pulled by white stallions as a conquering military leader, Jesus fulfills ancient prophecy by riding on a donkey’s colt. Swindoll invites the listener to picture the scene: a King whose feet likely dragged in the dust, surrounded not by guards, but by ordinary people shouting praises from the Psalms [20, 35–36]. This unusual entrance signaled that He did not come to conquer Rome, but to die for sin. Swindoll weaves in a deeply personal narrative about his mother claiming Proverbs 18:16 ("A man's gift makes room for him") for his life when he was just a boy playing sandlot football. He traces his journey from a modest home in East Houston to the Marine Corps, and finally into ministry, illustrating that God fulfills His plans in unexpected ways when we yield to Him [48–51, 61]. The message concludes with a call to surrender. Just as the crowds had to decide who Jesus was—some praising, some questioning, and some hating—Swindoll urges modern listeners to relinquish control of their lives to the only One worthy of total submission [68–70].

Message Key Facts:

• The Lee and Grant Contrast: Swindoll uses the surrender at Appomattox to set the stage. General Lee was tall and immaculately dressed in a fresh uniform with a sword, while General Grant was short, "stubby and rumpled," wearing a private's shirt with mud on his boots. Despite appearances, it was a moment of surrender, parallel to the spiritual surrender required on Palm Sunday [15–18].
• The Prophetic Fulfillment: Matthew interrupts his narrative to confirm that this event was the specific fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, written 500 years prior. The prophecy predicted the King would come "righteous and victorious," yet "humble and riding on a donkey" [30–32].
• The "Password": When Jesus sent two disciples to retrieve the donkey and the colt, He gave them a specific phrase to use if challenged: "The Lord needs them." Swindoll notes this arrangement was likely made ahead of time.
• The Physicality of Humility: Swindoll emphasizes the visual of a grown man riding a colt (a young, unridden donkey). It is a short animal, meaning Jesus was not elevated high above the crowd; instead, His knees were likely bent and feet dragging in the dust—a stark contrast to the pomp of earthly kings [27, 35–36].
• The Source of the Shout: The crowd's cry of "Hosanna" and "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord" is a direct quotation from Psalm 118:24–25. Swindoll notes that these ancient words of the Psalmist were realized in that specific moment [39–41].
• The "Rock Concert": Referencing Luke 19, Swindoll mentions the Pharisees’ demand for Jesus to rebuke the cheering crowd. Jesus replied that if the people were silent, "the stones along the road would burst into cheers." Swindoll humorously calls this the Bible's first reference to a "rock concert".
• A Mother’s Prophecy: Swindoll shares a pivotal moment from his childhood when his mother pinned a card with Proverbs 18:16 over the kitchen sink. She told him, "I believe that the Lord is going to use you in ways that we would never ever guess." Swindoll realized the fulfillment of this verse years later while speaking to high-ranking officials in Washington D.C., acknowledging it was God's grace, not his own planning [49–51, 61].
• Definition of Surrender: Swindoll defines surrender as "to relinquish possession or control of to another as a result of demand or compulsion." He argues this is the only appropriate response to Jesus.

Message References:

• Matthew 21:1–11: The primary text detailing Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, the securing of the donkey, and the reaction of the city [3–6].
• Zechariah 9:9: The Old Testament prophecy regarding the King coming on a donkey: "Look, your king is coming to you... humble, riding on a donkey" [31–32].
• Psalm 118:24–25: The source of the crowd's praise: "This is the day the Lord has made... Please Lord, please save us [Hosanna]" [39–40].
• Proverbs 18:16: The verse Swindoll’s mother claimed for him: "A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before Great Men".
• Luke 19:39–40: The account of the Pharisees complaining and Jesus responding that the stones would cry out [65–66].

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll