# Sunday Setup – Matthew 21

Sermon transcript from Cross Church Surprise.
Series: Sunday Setup
Date: March 26, 2026
Watch: https://crosschurchcares.com/surprise/episodes/sunday-setup-matthew-21

## Summary

What does it mean to truly recognize Jesus as King? Are we ready to obey Him, even when it feels uncomfortable? This Palm Sunday, let’s explore how our worship can transform into action. Join us as we prepare our hearts for a powerful message from Matthew 21. Let's dive in together!

## Transcript

Hey Cross Church family and welcome to 
 the Sunday setup. This is our time each 
 week, Thursdays at 2:00 that we 
 digitally gather together to prepare our 
 hearts for the text that we're diving 
 into this weekend. 
 Well, Sunday is Palm Sunday. And this 
 Palm Sunday, we're going to dive into 
 the story 
 that we get this day from and we find it 
 in Matthew chapter 21. And we're going 
 to be ending our series through Let's 
 Go, kind of unpacking this two-year 
 initiative, but it so perfectly fits in 
 with Palm Sunday and what God has for 
 us. And I want to start in verse one. 
 We're going to read 11 verses and we 
 have two prayer prompts that are going 
 to just help prepare our hearts for 
 God's word that we'll receive this 
 Sunday and how we can praise through it, 
 pray through it, preach through it, and 
 practice it next week. 
 But we start here in Matthew chapter 21 
 starting in verse one. It says this, 
 "When they approached Jerusalem and they 
 came to Bethphage at the Mount of 
 Olives, Jesus sent two disciples telling 
 them, "Go into the village ahead of you. 
 At once you will find a donkey tied 
 there with her colt. Untie them and 
 bring them to me. If anyone says 
 anything to you, say that the Lord needs 
 them and he will send them at once." 
 This took place so that what was spoken 
 through the prophet might be fulfilled. 
 "Tell daughter Zion, see your king is 
 coming to you, gentle and mounted on a 
 donkey and on a colt, the foal of a 
 donkey. Verse 6, the disciples went and 
 they did just as Jesus had directed 
 them. They brought the donkey and the 
 colt and they laid their clothes on them 
 and he sat on them. A very large crowd 
 spread their clothes on the roads. 
 Others were cutting branches from the 
 tree and spreading them on the road. 
 Then the crowds went ahead of them and 
 those who followed shouted, "Hosanna 
 anna 
 to the son of David. Blessed is he who 
 comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna 
 in the highest heaven." 
 When he, being Jesus, had entered 
 Jerusalem, the city was in an uproar 
 saying, "Who is this?" 
 And the crowds were saying, "This is the 
 prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee." 
 As we look at this passage and as we see 
 how this prepares us for the Palm uh 
 Sunday story, but how it also prepares 
 our church as we enter into this season 
 wrapping up our series through Let's Go, 
 but really beginning our two-year 
 commitment. Is this Sunday is commitment 
 Sunday and as we unpack that, we do 
 through do so in the midst of the story. 
 And here's the first thing as we attempt 
 to pray through this so that we're 
 preparing ourselves for it. Is I love 
 this question that is asked in verse 10. 
 Is who is this? 
 And actually they answered, the crowds 
 answered saying, "This is a prophet 
 Jesus from Nazareth." But really they're 
 not answering the question that we know 
 who Jesus is. We know Jesus is God. We 
 know Jesus is savior. We know Jesus is 
 the one who came to change everything. 
 And that is our prayer prompt today. Is 
 when they ask this question, "Who is 
 this?" 
 We get to pray to the Jesus we know. 
 And this is our first prayer prompt, a 
 prayer prompt of worship. Is Jesus, you 
 are 
 so small, so simple, but so profound. 
 Jesus, you are Jesus, you are holy. 
 Jesus, you are strong. Jesus, you are 
 present. Jesus, you You our you are 
 creator. Take some time. Pray through 
 this prompt, wherever you are. 
 Jesus, you are 
 Jesus, you are God. 
 Jesus, you are the ultimate prophet. 
 God, the ultimate healer. 
 God, you are the prince of peace. 
 You are the one who cleanses our sin 
 for all of eternity. 
 Jesus, you are king. 
 And Lord, as we prepare our hearts, God, 
 we do so in a stage of worship answering 
 the question that the city had at that 
 time, that our world has today is who is 
 this? Is Jesus, you are our God. 
 But, it does not stop there. 
 You see in the story 
 where it asked who is this, 
 it starts and the disciples are obeying 
 every single word he said. He's giving 
 them these directions that seem odd, 
 that to seem weird. Have go get a colt, 
 go get a donkey, go make sure it's in 
 this specific way, but they just obey. 
 You fast forward after the crowds turn 
 on him and they go from shouting Hosanna 
 to shouting crucify him, many from the 
 same mouth, the disciples don't play 
 those games. Instead of in Matthew 28, 
 after they witnessed 
 them coming in in a triumphal entry, 
 after they witnessed Jesus put on a 
 cross, after they witnessed him die, 
 after they witnessed him raise again, as 
 Jesus giving them the great great 
 commission, they are still obeying every 
 single word he says. 
 And here as we say, Jesus, you are, we 
 answer our world who Jesus is. 
 As the second part moves our worship 
 into action. 
 And Jesus, this is our prompt, Jesus, 
 let me obey you no matter what. 
 Jesus, let me obey you no matter what in 
 however he has called you to. Maybe in 
 being a part of a church family, in 
 inviting my neighbors to Easter, in 
 being a light in my workplace, in giving 
 my resources back to his kingdom. Jesus, 
 let me obey you no matter what in 
 Pray those prayers to our God. 
 >> Jesus, 
 let us obey you no matter the cost, 
 no matter the lack of comfort. Jesus, 
 let let us obey you and God being bold 
 about our faith 
 and being faithful in our families. Let 
 us obey you in putting you first in 
 worship, in our finances. God, let us 
 obey you in whatever you ask us to do 
 that moves us out of our comfort, that 
 convicts our sin, that calls us to do 
 something that maybe, Lord, we are 
 scared to do 
 that God we be obedient in following 
 your word, in following your spirit, in 
 following the vision and the purpose 
 that you have put in our life. 
 God, let us be obedient in the things 
 that you have called us, the commission 
 that you have put upon us, and let us 
 obey that no matter what our world 
 throws at us. God, we thank you that you 
 are king. We thank you that you are God, 
 and Lord, we just lift all this up in 
 Jesus' name. Amen. 
 Thank you guys for joining us today. We 
 cannot wait to worship with you this 
 Sunday. Have a great rest of your day, 
 and we'll see you soon. 
 >> Oh.