“They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him and cried out: ‘Hosanna!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!'” -John 12:13

As our children were growing up, Holy Week had a special meaning in our home. One of the things that was a tradition for our family was watching The Passion of the Christ. And every year, I would go into it knowing what’s coming… but somehow, it still hit just as hard.

There’s something about seeing it unfold—the suffering, the weight of the cross, the quiet strength of Jesus—that makes it feel real in a way that’s hard to put into words.

And each time we watched it, I found myself thinking the same thing:
How did the people who were there not understand what was happening?
How did they go from praising Him… to rejecting Him?

But the more I sit with that question, the more I realize… it’s not as distant from us as we might think.

As Holy Week begins, we step into a moment that feels full of hope.
Jesus is entering Jerusalem.
The streets are crowded.
People are celebrating.
They’re waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna!”—welcoming Him as King.

And for a moment, everything looks exactly right.

But underneath the celebration… there’s a misunderstanding.

And I can’t help but wonder… what did they think was about to happen next?

Did they expect immediate victory?
Did they think this was the moment everything would finally turn in their favor?
Did they believe Jesus was about to step into power the way they understood power?

Because if we’re honest… we probably would have thought the same thing.

It all looked right.
But Jesus wasn’t coming to meet their expectations—He was coming to fulfill something far greater.

He came riding in on a donkey.
Not strong in the way they expected… but humble.
Not forceful… but intentional.
Not to take a throne… but to carry a cross.

And that shift—from celebration to confusion, from praise to rejection—happens so quickly.

Because when Jesus didn’t do what they thought He would do… they didn’t know what to do with Him.

And that’s the part that weighs on my heart.
Because I may not be waving palm branches… but I can still fall into the same pattern.

As Jesus looked over Jerusalem, Scripture tells us, “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,saying, ‘If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.’” (Luke 19:41-42)

They were celebrating… but they were missing Him.
And if we’re not careful, we can do the same.

We can praise Him when things are going the way we hope.
We can feel confident in His plan when it makes sense to us.
We can trust easily when we can see where things are headed.

But what about when we can’t?

What about when His timing feels slow?
What about when His way looks completely different than what we prayed for?
What about when obedience leads somewhere uncomfortable instead of somewhere easy?

Do we still trust Him then?
Or do we quietly begin to pull back… question… or try to take control again?
Is our Saviour looking over our life and weeping? Are we not recognizing what is intended for our peace?

The people in that crowd didn’t stop believing in a Savior…
they just struggled to accept the kind of Savior He actually was.

As we walk into this week leading up to the cross, our invitation isn’t just to remember what happened…it’s to realign our hearts.
To lay down our expectations.
To release our need to understand everything.
To trust Him—not because it all makes sense—but because He is faithful.

Takeaway Thought: Faith isn’t trusting God to meet our expectations—it’s trusting Him when He doesn’t.

Your Heart Sister,
Mikki 💜

Lord, as we walk through this week, help us not rush past what You have done. Slow our hearts down so we can truly see, reflect, and understand. When Your ways don’t match our expectations, teach us to trust You anyway. Strengthen our faith to follow You with humility, even when we don’t fully understand. In the precious name of Jesus we pray, Amen.