Today is Palm Sunday. It is the Sunday about 2,000 years ago that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. As He entered the city, the crowd cheered “Hosannas” and waved their palm branches. Many people shed their cloaks and placed them in the path of the oncoming donkey, forming a pavement of cloth for the donkey to tread upon. In the crowd’s mind, all of this had a purpose. They understood Jesus’ decision to ride a donkey into the city to be in satisfaction of Zechariah’s prophecy: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9, NIV84)[1] Yes, Jesus was (and is) a King. In fact, He is the King of kings.[2] But, as we will see, the salvation Jesus offered was quite different than the salvation the crowd had in mind. The chanting of “Hosannas” derived from a Hebrew phrase meaning “I beg you to save us” or “please deliver us.” [3] It is significant that many in the crowd added “Son of David” to their cheers. This was a clear assertion that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah whom the people expected to save them from Rome’s harsh rule.[4] But, the people were only half correct. Yes, Jesus was, indeed, the Messiah—The Son of God. That much they got right. But, He didn’t come as a military messiah who’d kill Israel’s enemies. Rather, Jesus’ mission was the opposite: He came to save people from their real enemy—Satan. He came as a sacrifice for their sins and to give them eternal life.
The crowd’s misguided understanding as to why Jesus had come to this earth was further indicated by their waving of the palm branches and their tossing of garments in the path of the donkey. The palm branches were a symbol of the hope that the nation of Israel would be resurrected and shed the bonds that kept them under Roman rule.[5] And, the Old Testament provided precedence that throwing garments in the path of an incoming donkey hailed its rider as being a king.[6] But, again, the king they envisioned would sit only on an earthly throne. Once Jesus went to the Cross and was resurrected from the Tomb, He would complete His mission on earth. Then, Jesus would ascend to Heaven where He took His place—not on some mere earthly throne—but on the throne at the right hand of His Father.[7]
But, I am getting a bit ahead of myself. We need to go back to that cheering crowd that was making such a joyful sound on that first Palm Sunday. They made quite a noise—so much, in fact, that the sound could be heard in the prison cells of the fortress of Antonia located next to the Temple complex. It was there that the Romans had confined three infamous criminals. One of those prisoners was named “Barabbas”. But, his two accomplices were thieves who remain anonymous. A number of New Testament scholars theorize that Barabbas and these two thieves were involved in a riot near an aqueduct in Jerusalem. This riot had occurred shortly before Jesus made His entry into Jerusalem. During this act of rebellion, several Roman soldiers were murdered—probably by the hand of Barabbas. Circumstantial evidence leads to the conclusion that Barabbas led this insurrection, and these two thieves were involved in the looting that followed. All three were apprehended by the Roman authorities and were sentenced to be crucified on the Friday following Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem.[8]
The scholars who hold to this historical account find support from several biblical passages. John’s Gospel indicates that Barabbas was, in fact, an insurrectionist who was actively engaged in rebellion against Roman rule.[9] Mark’s Gospel adds that he was a murderer whose victims may well have been the aforementioned Roman soldiers.[10] Barabbas was probably a member of the paramilitary group known as the Zealots who sought to overthrow Roman rule by any means possible—no matter how violent.[11] With this background in mind, there was quite a contrast when comparing Barabbas to Jesus. Ironically, Barabbas’ name means “son of the father.” On the other hand, Jesus was the true Son of the Father who lives in Heaven. Barabbas was committed to killing his enemies, whereas Jesus taught us to love our enemies.[12] Barabbas was a murderer whose riots brought on violence and chaos to those all around him. Jesus is the Prince of Peace who offers quiet rest for your soul.[13] The differences between these two men could not have been greater. Yet, as we will see, when it came time for the crowd to choose one over the other, they made an incredibly poor choice. With respect to the two other prisoners accompanying Barabbas, we do not know much about their personal histories. Matthew’s Gospel identifies both of them as thieves, which is consistent with their probable role in the riot near the aqueduct.[14] When Jesus went to the Cross, He encountered these two rebellious thieves and, thus, satisfied the prophecy in Isaiah 53 which predicted: 12b “He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.” (Isaiah 53:12, NLT)
Now, let’s go back to the scene on that first Palm Sunday. Barabbas and his two companions listened intently to the cheering of the crowds. They noticed a wariness in the eyes of the Roman guards. And, they could hear them murmuring something about the “King of the Jews” was coming and that they should be on alert for any trouble that might follow. The guards’ caution was warranted because, on the Monday, Jesus went to the Temple. The cheering crowd likely expected Jesus to commence His effort to overthrow the Romans. But, Jesus had a different target in mind to overthrow. He was outraged at the way the merchants and Jewish religious leaders had made His Father’s House a “den of thieves.”[15] And so, Jesus overturned the tables of the merchants and money changers and drove them out of the Temple courts. This is not what the crowd expected at all. They wanted Jesus to conquer the Romans. They failed to understand that He had come to conquer the sin in their hearts. Jesus’ opponents among the Jewish religious leaders were sure to use this event to discredit Jesus. As the week went on, that is exactly what they did.
On Tuesday, Jesus returned to the Temple where His authority was challenged by the Jewish religious leaders. Nevertheless, Jesus continued to teach the people using parables and even prophesying about His coming death.[16] Wednesday was likely a peaceful day spent in Bethany with His disciples.[17] But, that peace was short-lived because the events on Thursday and Friday passed with the speed of a whirlwind.
On Thursday evening, Jesus celebrated the first “Lord’s Supper” with His disciples[18] and taught them a valuable lesson about servanthood as He washed each disciples’ feet.[19] Jesus then led His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane where He prayed so intently that droplets of blood mixed with the perspiration that flowed down His face.[20] And, then perhaps the greatest “criminal” in Jerusalem that evening approached Jesus and kissed Him on the cheek. It was Judas Iscariot who led the Temple guards to the garden to arrest Jesus.[21] And, as the late hours of Thursday night merged into the early hours of Friday morning, Jesus was led to be tried by the Jewish religious leaders and by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.[22]
It was on that darkest of Fridays that those three criminals, waiting in their prison cell, once again made their prominent appearances. You see, when Pilate conducted his trial of Jesus, the verdict was very clear. Pilate turned to the crowd that had gathered in the early morning light and declared Jesus to be innocent.[23] But, that verdict would not satisfy them and Pilate sensed their displeasure. He also noticed the angry frowns on the faces of those Jewish religious leaders who had been plotting all week to have Jesus killed. Pilate knew that his own standing with the emperor in Rome was already at an all-time low. If word got back to Rome that he had caused a riot because he had let a wandering preacher like Jesus go free, Pilate knew that he’d likely lose his position as governor. So, in his devious mind, Pilate quickly hatched a plan and had Barabbas brought from his prison cell. Barabbas was placed beside Jesus. Pilate then presented both to the crowd and said: 39 “You have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So, do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews? [referring to Jesus]” 40a They shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” John 18:39–40 (CSB) The amazing thing is that many who called out the name “Barabbas” were the very same ones who had cried out “Hosannas” to Jesus the previous Sunday as he rode in on the donkey! John’s Gospel tells us the chief priests and religious leaders joined the chorus against Jesus and added the hateful chant: “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”[24] And, despite having found Jesus not guilty, that’s exactly what Pilate allowed them to do!
You see, the crowd made the same mistake that many people do today. They wanted to mold Jesus into the person they wanted Him to be. Instead, they should have allowed Jesus into their hearts to turn them into the kind of people God had intended them to be. Yes, the crowd wanted Jesus to be their military leader and rid the land of Romans. But, God had sent His Son to be their Lord and Savior to set them free from the bonds of Satan.
Once Pilate washed his hands of the matter, Jesus was led outside the gates of Jerusalem and up the hill known as Calvary—which in Aramaic is “Golgotha” meaning “Place of the Skull.” [25] There, He met the two criminals who had been Barabbas’ partners in crime. They had carried their crosses to this place of execution. But, they were probably astounded to see that someone other than Barabbas was nailed on the third cross between the two of them. Finally, they realized it was Jesus whom they had heard so much about. And, as Jesus and these two criminals hung there on their crosses, Luke’s Gospel describes an amazing conversation that took place among them: 39 “Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at him: ‘Aren’t You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!’ 40 But the other answered, rebuking him: ‘Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? 41 We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ 42 Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember Me when You come into your kingdom.’ 43 And [Jesus] said to him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:39–43, CSB)
The thief that honored Jesus offers a stark contrast with the religious leaders standing nearby who hurled all kinds of insults at Jesus. They had studied the Old Testament texts almost daily from the time they were children. They had always worshipped God on the Sabbath and followed every rule they could think of. But, there was one crucial thing they failed to do. They had never allowed God into their hearts. Because of that, these pious priests, rabbis and Pharisees could not see that the very One they were crucifying was God’s only Son. And so, they were spiritually lost and bound for Hell.
Yet, one of the two thieves hanging next to Jesus had the spiritual insight to open his heart to Jesus. When this criminal allowed that to happen, his spiritual eyes were opened. From a spiritual standpoint, this thief, who acknowledged Jesus’ divinity, had been a lot like Barabbas in a negative way. But, having encountered Christ, the thief’s appearance changed completely. He was a brand-new man from a redemptive standpoint. The twist to this whole event is when Barabbas appeared before Pilate. Pilate’s actions had the effect of transferring Barabbas’ guilt over to Jesus, and Jesus’ innocence over to Barabbas. Barabbas was treated as if he were innocent, and Jesus would end up dying for Barabbas’ crimes. That is what Jesus did for the thief on the Cross who went with Him to Paradise. That is what Jesus does for you when you repent of your sins and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Theologically, we call this “atonement.” In other words, on the Cross, Jesus paid for the crimes (sins) of those who abandon their worldly lifestyles and accept His Way. And, what is Jesus’ Way? Jesus said, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6, NIV84) The “Way” is the Way of the Cross. The “Truth” is the Truth of God’s Word. And, the “Life” is something only Jesus can give because He is the sole source of Eternal Life.
When Jesus died on the Cross, His spirit ascended into Heaven—as did the spirit of the repentant thief. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus placed Jesus’ body in a tomb. A large stone was rolled over the entrance to the tomb and sealed. On that first Easter morning, Jesus emerged from that tomb in a wonderful, resurrected body. (We’ll talk more about that next week.) One day soon, the repentant thief, and all those who genuinely give their lives to Christ, will receive their resurrected bodies as well, and will dwell in Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom!
That coming resurrection of all God’s people is something we will celebrate in a special way in a few minutes as we will observe the Ordinance of Baptism—three baptisms, in fact! I say this because the Christian ordinance of baptism has as its foundation the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Did you know that? Baptisms look to the resurrection of our bodies in the Rapture that will occur near the End of Time. In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul said: 3 “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a NEW LIFE. 5 If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.” (Romans 6:3–5, NIV84) Then, in his letter to the church in Colossae, Paul further explained: 12 “For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with Him you were raised to NEW LIFE because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. 13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the Cross. 15 In this way, He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by His victory over them on the Cross.” (Colossians 2:12–15, NLT)
Notice Paul’s emphasis on the NEW LIFE that baptism signifies. You abandon worldly lifestyles that are contrary to God’s Word, and are born-again in Christ. Paul expressed it this way: “All who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.” (Galatians 3:27, NLT) Yes!—it’s like throwing away your torn and filthy rags of the world, and putting on a sparkling, new wardrobe Christ offers!
And so, baptism is an outward expression of a believer’s faith and confession that Jesus is Lord of their life, and that God raised Him from the dead.[26] It is not that baptism saves you. Rather, it is the public expression, that by the blood of Christ, you have already been saved through your faith in Jesus Christ. Now, through your baptism, you want all the world to know that salvation is only through Christ alone. For as the Apostle Peter preached: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, NIV84)
And finally, baptism is also connected to Palm Sunday because it is a public declaration that when you sing out “Hosanna,” it isn’t an empty cry—as it appears to have been for many who shouted and waved their branches as Jesus rode into town on that first Palm Sunday. For those baptized in Christ, they don’t have to beg to the Lord, “Please save us”—for they know, that through faith in Him—they are, indeed, already saved.
What about you? You see, all of us are thieves hanging on a cross. The question is which thief are you? The one who continues to insult Jesus through the way you are living your life?—or, the one who went with Him to Paradise? If you are still wearing the rags of this world, it’s time to get a new set of clothes. The thief on the Cross, who expressed regret for his past sins and acknowledged Jesus’ coming kingdom, was baptized by the Holy Spirit as he hung there. If you haven’t experienced such a baptism, there is no better time than now to let Christ into your life. The baptismal pool is waiting for you. I invite you to come on in—the water is fine!
Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor
Forest Hill Baptist Church
March 29, 2026
©2026 All Rights Reserved as follows:
Anyone is at liberty to use this sermon or any portions thereof for educational or religious purposes, with or without credit. The pastor believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of God’s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.
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[1] See: Matthew 21:1–11.
[2] Revelation 19:16, “ And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” (CSB)
[3] Got Questions Ministries. 2002–2013. Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[4] John H. Walton and Kim E. Walton, The Bible Story Handbook: A Resource for Teaching 175 Stories from the Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 304.
[5] Ibid. John H. Walton and Kim E. Walton, 304.
[6] 2nd Kings 9:13 “ They hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, ‘Jehu is king!’” (NIV84)
[7] Mark 16:19 “ After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.” (NIV84)
[8] Richard R. Losch, in All the People in the Bible: An A–Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008), 55–56.
William E. Barton, “An Appeal from a Verdict of History,” Bibliotheca Sacra (1896), 103–104.
[9] John 18:40, “They shouted back, ‘No, not him! Give us Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.” (NIV84)
[10] Mark 15:6–7, 6 “Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7 A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising.” (NIV84)
[11] Elwell, Walter A., and Barry J. Beitzel. 1988. “Barabbas.” In Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1:263. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.
[12] Matthew 5:43–45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (NIV84)
[13] Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (NKJV)
[14] Matthew 27:43–44 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have him: for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ 44 The thieves also, which were crucified with Him, cast the same in His teeth.” (KJV)
[15] Matthew 21:13 “ He said to them, ‘It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of thieves!’”, (CSB)
[16] John 12:23-25 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (ESV)
[17] Neil Wilson and Linda K. Taylor, Tyndale Handbook of Bible Charts and Maps, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 288.
[18] Matthew 26:26-29 26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." 27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." (NIV)
[19] John 13:3–5 3 “Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that He had come from God, and that He was going back to God. 4 So He got up from supper, laid aside His outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around Himself. 5 Next, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around Him.” (CSB)
[20] Luke 22:44 “Being in anguish, he prayed more fervently, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (CSB)
[21] Matthew 26:48–49 48 “His betrayer had given them a sign: ‘The one I kiss, He’s the one; arrest Him.” 49 So immediately he went up to Jesus and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.’” (CSB)
[22] Neil Wilson and Linda K. Taylor, Tyndale Handbook of Bible Charts and Maps, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 288.
[23] John 18:38b “After [Pilate] had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, ‘I find no grounds for charging Him.’” (CSB)
[24] John 19:6 “When they saw Him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, ‘Crucify Him! Crucify Him!’ ‘Take Him yourselves and crucify Him,’ Pilate said. ‘I find Him not guilty.’” (NLT)
[25] Barry, John D., David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder, eds. 2016. “Calvary.” In The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[26] Romans 10:9–10 9 “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (NIV84)
