He stopped in the middle of the parade and wept

Picture the scene. A massive crowd cheering. Coats spread across the road. The sound of Psalm 118 rising through the streets of Jerusalem.

And then Jesus stopped - and wept.

Not quiet tears. Luke tells us it was loud, deep lamentation. Right there in the middle of what should have been the greatest moment of celebration.

This Palm Sunday, we asked why.

The answer changes everything. Jesus wasn’t weeping because he was sad to be celebrated. He was weeping because he could see people all around him who would miss the very thing that was worth celebrating - the good news of happiness that he came to bring.

That phrase, the good news of happiness, comes from Isaiah 52:7 - a verse the angels echo at Jesus’ birth. And it’s the phrase that sits at the heart of this week’s sermon.

Key takeaway: Joy and compassion aren’t opposites. Jesus held both at once. And we’re called to do the same - to celebrate what God has done in our lives, and to ache for those who haven’t yet found it.

William Booth put it brilliantly: “I’m pleased that you are pleased - but amidst all your joys, don’t forget the sons and daughters of misery.”

This Holy Week, who are you carrying in your heart?

🎥 Watch the full Palm Sunday sermon here:

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