Welcome to St Andrews in the Grange, Church of Scotland, Guernsey.

This service was recorded on Sunday, 29 March 2026, Palm Sunday. Our reading is John 19:16b–22.

Palm Sunday often begins with crowds, branches and celebration, but John’s Gospel draws us quickly toward the cross. Jesus carries the instrument of his execution through the city while Pilate orders a sign to be placed above him: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” It is written in multiple languages so that everyone passing by can read it. What was intended as mockery becomes proclamation.

This is a story filled with contradiction. The one proclaimed king does not arrive with violence or military power. He does not defeat his enemies or silence his accusers. Instead, he walks willingly into suffering and rejection. John presents a Christ whose kingship is revealed not through domination, but through self-giving love.

This sermon reflects on the kind of power Jesus embodies and the challenge this poses to the ways societies often understand strength, success and leadership. It explores how Palm Sunday confronts us with a choice between spectacle and compassion, between the kingdoms built on fear and the kingdom revealed in vulnerability and truth.

At St Andrews in the Grange, we seek to be a community shaped by grace, honesty and hope, where difficult questions are welcomed and where faith is rooted in compassion rather than certainty.

If you would like to connect or find out more about our community, you can email Justin at jtaylor@churchofscotland.org.uk

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