From Preparation to Praise

Nathan Kliewer, Executive Pastor of Ministry

Lent is a season of quiet reflection—a journey inward marked by repentance, fasting, and a renewed awareness of our need for God. For forty days, we are invited to slow down, examine our hearts, and walk with Jesus toward the cross. It is a time of surrender, where we lay down distractions, comforts, and even hidden sins in order to make room for deeper transformation. Then, suddenly, Palm Sunday arrives. The tone shifts. The quiet wilderness of Lent gives way to a loud and public celebration. Crowds gather, cloaks are thrown on the road, and palm branches are waved high as Jesus enters Jerusalem. The people shout, “Hosanna!”—a word that means “Save us!” It is a moment filled with hope, expectation, and joy. However, Palm Sunday is not separate from Lent—it is the culmination of it.

Everything that Lent prepares in us finds expression on Palm Sunday. The repentance, the humility, the awareness of our need for a Savior—all of it leads to this moment of recognition: Jesus is the King who has come to save. Yet there is tension here. The same crowd that shouts “Hosanna!” will, within days, cry out “Crucify Him.” Palm Sunday reminds us how easy it is to praise Jesus when He meets our expectations, and how quickly our hearts can turn when He doesn’t. Lent helps us confront that reality within ourselves. It asks us: What kind of King are we welcoming? The people of Jerusalem expected a political rescuer—someone to overthrow oppression and restore their power. But Jesus entered on a donkey, not a warhorse. He came in humility, not dominance. He came not just to change circumstances, but to transform hearts. Lent trains us to recognize this kind of King.

As we move from Lent into Palm Sunday, we are invited to hold both postures together: the quiet surrender of repentance and the bold declaration of praise. True worship is not just loud celebration—it is a life laid down.

Questions to Ponder:

What have I been laying down during Lent, and has it truly drawn me closer to Jesus?

When I say “Hosanna,” am I asking Jesus to save me on His terms or mine? Do I follow Jesus only when He meets my expectations, or also when He challenges them?

What kind of King am I welcoming into my life—a conquering hero of my own making, or the humble Savior He truly is?

As I enter Holy Week, how can I move beyond surface-level praise into deeper devotion?

This Palm Sunday may our praise not be fleeting. May it rise from hearts that have been shaped by the quiet, refining work of Lent—and may we follow Jesus not just into celebration, but all the way to the cross, and beyond it to resurrection life.