Understanding more about Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter Sunday, and the sixth Sunday after Lent. Palm Sunday is when Jesus entered into Jerusalem on a donkey, while the crowd of disciples waved Palm branches, as they shouted: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” (John 12:13)
Hosanna, in Hebrew, means ‘save us’ or ‘deliver us’. Just five days later, many of these that shouted ‘save us’ or ‘deliver us’, would be shouting ‘crucify Him’!
Psalm 118:25 says, “Save us, we pray, O Lord.” The words ‘Save us’, used here, is the word ‘Hosanna’ used in the Gospels. The crowd was using the word Hosanna as praise to Jesus for all the works and miracles He had done, but they were also using the word Hosanna as a plea for help and deliverance. The crowds called Jesus ‘Son of David’ as He rode into the city on a donkey.
They thought Jesus was now going to deliver them from the oppression of the Roman government; when He was really preparing to die for their sins as their Messiah. They cried for salvation from the Romans; but He was going to provide salvation from their sins and eternal death. He did answer their prayers for salvation, just not in the way they desired, nor in the time-frame they were looking for; as He will soon remove the blindness from their eyes, and they will know Him not only as their Messiah, but as their King and Lord, for 1000 years, and then for eternity.
Later that same day, while Jesus was in the temple, the children were still gathered around Him and still shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’. The priests asked Him if He was hearing what these children were saying about Him. Jesus replied, “have you never read, ‘from the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” This is Psalm 8:2 fulfilled.
The people of the city asked, “Who is this?” The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Thus, the whole city of Jerusalem knew about the entry of Jesus into the city on a donkey, and what everyone was saying about Him.
This was the beginning of the Holy Week that Christians have celebrated since the beginning of the third century, as they came out into the roads waving palm branches, denoting the blessings of the Lord in their lives.
Many churches used to celebrate this Sunday with palm branches, special singing, and a message from the Bible about the meaning of Palm Sunday, as they prepared for the coming Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The palm branches were then burned and used on Ash Wednesday. It seems these traditions are falling away, except for the more traditional mainline churches. I believe we are missing out on a tremendous blessing by not celebrating this important day about the last week of Jesus earthly life.
Believers would weave palm branches into crosses and decorate their homes with them. In countries where Palm leaves are not available, they use pussy willows, or flowers; but for the same purpose of reminding us of our need for salvation and to be thankful for all He has done for us.
As noted, the word Hosanna meant they were crying for salvation and deliverance; a cry of every last human being that walks the earth as a transgressor of God’s Holy Commandments. We all need to be reminded of our need to cry out to our Lord, as helpless beings who cannot save ourselves. We also need to be reminded of our need to be thankful for all the blessings and miracles He has provided for each of us in years past. We all have our stories to tell of provisions and protections and interventions that can only be credited to a loving and merciful God intervening in the circumstances of our individual lives.
The children praising God is not only a fulfillment of prophecy as in Psalm 8:2, but also teaches us what Jesus taught, that we cannot enter into God’s Kingdom without becoming as a little child, in sincerity and honesty, and crying spontaneously from our hearts our thankfulness and praise to our God.
Even the donkey was foretold about in Zechariah 9:9, and carries special meaning about the gentleness and humility of our Lord Jesus, as well as Him being our Bread of Life and coming King.
Rabbis and scholars debated as to how far one could carry the bread of the Passover, without violating the law about working on the Sabbath. One said it could only be carried within one’s house. Another said it could be carried within the city walls. And yet another said it could be carried within the city limits, as long as it was carried on a beast of burden. Jesus implied that the city limits was the correct understanding; as He was in fact our Bread of Passover, riding on a donkey from Bethany (which was right on the city limits) into the city of Jerusalem. The riding on a donkey also was the custom of a returning Monarch entering his recaptured city; while he rode a horse when he rode into a city that he had originally conquered. Jesus was entering on a donkey as the King reclaiming the city that already belonged to Him. When He returns at the end of time He will be riding on a white horse as King of kings and Lord of lords, to rid the earth of evil and to rule on the throne of David for 1000 years of peace.
Take time to read about the waving of palms in the Gospels, and pause to give God thanks for all His blessings in your life and for saving you from sin on Good Friday, and for the promise of eternal life as He arose from the grave on Easter Sunday morning. (Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, John 12:12-19)
Easter week is a time of reflection and thankfulness that leads to celebration of the promise of sins washed away by the Lamb of God, and the hope of His soon return so that we can be where He is for eternity – in a light without darkness, in beauty without flaws, in joy without sadness, in good without evil, and in life without death.