prepared by Deacon Nigel Perrott – Palm Sunday 2026
Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
Lord Jesus Christ,
On this Palm Sunday we lift our voices in joyful praise.
You come to us not with force or splendour,
but with humility, mercy, and a love that never ends.
As the crowds once spread their cloaks and waved their palms,
we lay before You our gratitude, our hopes, and our longing for peace.
You are the King who rides a donkey,
the Saviour who chooses gentleness over power,
the Light who enters our darkness with grace.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed are You who comes in the name of the Lord.
You bring healing where there is hurt,
courage where there is fear,
and new life where all seems lost.
On this holy day,
teach us to walk Your way of compassion,
to welcome You with open hearts,
and to follow You with trust and joy.
Hosanna —
to the One who saves,
the One who reigns in love,
the One who leads us toward Easter hope.
Amen.
Prayer of Confession for this Palm Sunday
Hosanna‑lifting God,
We come before you aware of our frailty.
We confess the times we have praised you with our lips
but held back our hearts.
When we have followed you only on the easy roads,
forgive us.
When we have turned away from the path of humility,
restore us.
As we remember Jesus entering Jerusalem in peace,
renew in us the courage to walk with him
through love, surrender, and truth.
Amen.
Hymn STF 265 – Ride On
Henry Hart Milman (1791–1868)
Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 265
Have a read of each of these accounts from the Gospels.
Matthew 21:1-11/, Mark 11:1-11, / Luke 19:29-44, / John 12:12-19
Reflection
This is a story that is so well known. It’s a little like a film or book you have read several times, you know how it ends and yet read or see it again. Sometimes there maybe something in the film you haven’t noticed before, is there anything in this story you can relate to in that way?
All the gospels have a slightly different approach to this story. You should read them all, because when you put them all together, they can give a better understanding of what is going on. Different eyewitnesses see different things.
There is of course one common thread in all the accounts. The donkey, Mule, or Colt if you like. Though John’s account doesn’t see the disciples going to get the donkey or colt, the donkey is there.
When you watch a film there is always a list of characters at the end. In most films, you have put your coat on and left before the end. On a side note, sometimes there is a little bit of film you miss because you are so keen to get out!
As the list goes through, the main characters are listed first, and the minor ones appear in tiny print somewhere further on. Even when animals play a large part, they rarely get a mention in the credits!
So, the list of main characters here are Jesus, the disciples and of course the cheering crowd. The donkey or mule if you like, in this story, does of course play a main part. *Theologically there are some points to remember about this donkey. Mathews account helpfully explains why the donkey is important.
We read Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
* Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
We see here that there is point being made about Jesus doing the unexpected, arriving on a donkey and not in a golden carriage. I am sure that the world would have something to say if the King were to ride up to Westminster Abbey on a donkey!
Going back to our different Gospel accounts, However, the disciples are not really the sharpest tools in the box. In Marks Gospel, particularly, there are seen as being a bit thick. They don’t get it and Jesus often rebukes them. Chapter 7 says “Jesus gently rebuked them” In Luke chapter 9, Jesus says “let these words sink into your ears”
You do have to love them though, remember when Janes and John argued over who was the greatest. Jesus again had to put them straight. So back to our story, I really do not think that the disciples really understood the significance of what they were doing. Jesus has told them to go and get a donkey, so they just did as they were told. They were still not aware of the bigger picture.
I have this rather comical vision of the disciples going off:
“Here we are, the followers of Jesus, the greatest teacher of all, the future messiah, and what are we doing? going to get a smelly donkey from a stable somewhere”.
I really don’t think they knew the significance of what they were doing. It would not be the last time they would be sent off on a mundane task. Remember they were sent off to prepare a place where Jesus would have that famous last meal.
Yes, the disciples were basically in charge of those minor details. It was however, those minor details that prepared the way. Had the disciples not gone off to get that donkey there would not be a triumphant entry, if the disciples had not gone ahead to get a room, that last supper may not have taken place.
We are followers of Jesus; we are not Jesus. We are called to the mundane. We are called as John the Baptist shouted at the beginning of Johns Gospel “Prepare the way of the Lord” The disciples were obedient to Jesus by getting a donkey, and it was the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem, a statement that would show who Jesus was, triumphantly demonstrating Jesus as the King of Kings, to the shouts of Hosanna.
Of course, later, we do see the disciples being sent on to heal the sick and preach to the world. This Sunday, however, we see them just being obedient and doing the mundane. As followers of Jesus today, we are the ones who are involved in the mundane. We are the ones who take a meal round to someone who just lost a loved one. We are the ones, who can say, “I hear you, and I am praying for you”. We are the ones who can help at the local foodbank. You may have be the one who fixed the front door of the church or changed the light bulbs. We all, as followers of Jesus, prepare a way for others to see and hear the Gospel of Christ. We are the preparers.
You may not be called to preach on difficult theological texts, you may feel that you only play that minor role in the bigger picture, but you may be able to give an encouraging word to someone in need. We can prepare the way for Jesus to enter the world, in many ways. We make the way possible. The early followers of Jesus were known as “The people of the way”
Yes, this story is well known, there are some big theological themes, the story is the beginning of the end of Jesus’s ministry but today, this Palm Sunday in 2026, we remember and see, how we can too, can become part of the story.
Amen
Loving God
As we remember your humble entry into Jerusalem,
we pray for a world longing for peace.
Strengthen all who carry heavy burdens today,
bring comfort to the weary,
and hope to those who feel forgotten.
Guide me and your Church to walk your path of mercy,
and teach us all to follow you with courage and love.
Being your hands feet in all we do and all we say
Hosanna in the highest. Amen.
Hymn STF 263 – Hosanna, Hosanna
1 Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest!
Lord, we lift up your name, with hearts full of praise;
be exalted, O Lord, my God!
Hosanna in the highest!
2 Glory, glory, glory to the King of kings!
Glory, glory, glory to the King of kings!
Lord, we lift up your name, with hearts full of praise;
be exalted, O Lord, my God!
Glory to the King of kings!
Carl Tuttle (b.1953)Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 263
May the blessings of the Lord be with you this Palm Sunday & Always
Amen.
