Advent
The First Sunday in Advent
November 30, 2025
Overview & Insights
“Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey.” (Matthew 21:5)
Jesus enters Jerusalem in kingly fashion (21:1–11), opening a new section of Matthew focused on Jesus’ ministry to crowds and confrontations with Jewish leaders in Jerusalem (chaps. 21–23). Matthew ties the preceding healing of two blind men (20:29–34) and this Jerusalem entry together by emphasizing Jesus as the “Son of David” in both (20:30–31; 21:9). After an extended section featuring Jesus and his disciples (16:21–20:28), the crowds reappear in these passages (20:29; 21:9, 11). Matthew distinguishes the Jerusalem crowds that ask about Jesus’ identity from the Galilean crowd that accompanies Jesus into the city. In terms of that identity, Matthew emphasizes that Jesus’ kingship (explicated by Zech. 9:9) promotes a peaceable and humble reign (21:5).
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Commentary
Matthew 21 Commentary: The Triumphal Entry, Verse by Verse Enduring Word · David Guzik
David Guzik walks through the colt, the spread cloaks, and the Hosanna shout as Jesus enters Jerusalem as king.
Matthew 21:1-11 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching
A Reformed preaching commentary that reads the entry as a mini-Advent of expectant hope through the first nine verses.
Matthew 21 Commentary | Precept Austin Precept Austin
A verse-by-verse study hub gathering many commentators on the entry, the colt, and the crowd's acclamation.
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, Cycle A | Loyola Press Loyola Press · Sunday Connection
Catholic Sunday Connection on the procession gospel Matthew 21:1-11, with reflection questions on Jesus entering as humble king.
Matthew 21:1 Commentaries BibleHub
Classic commentators compared side by side on Jesus sending for the donkey and colt at Bethphage.
Victory, Palm Sunday (A) Sermons That Work · Episcopal Church
An Episcopal Sermons That Work homily on the crowd's Hosanna and the paradox of Jesus' kingship.
Background & Word Study
Matthew 21:1 Interlinear BibleHub
Greek text with parsing and Strong's numbers for the opening of the triumphal-entry scene.
Gospel of Matthew | Enter the Bible Enter the Bible
Luther Seminary book overview giving the shape, themes, and setting of Matthew for reading the entry into Jerusalem.
Overview: Matthew 14-28 | Watch an Overview Video BibleProject
BibleProject's visual walk-through of Matthew's second half, where Jesus turns toward Jerusalem and the cross.
The 'triumphal' entry on Palm Sunday in Matthew 21 Psephizo · Ian Paul
Ian Paul's Anglican study of what Matthew's staging of the entry, with two animals and the Zechariah citation, actually means.
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
Why does the one-year lectionary open Advent with Palm Sunday's text?
The historic Advent 1 Gospel is the Triumphal Entry, setting the season's theme at the start: the King comes to his people gently, fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy, and the church cries Hosanna to welcome him.
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