Today is Palm Sunday. It’s the time when we celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Many churches hand out palm branches. But what exactly is Palm Sunday? It’s meaning is rich and deep and so exquisite! Let’s talk about… WHAT IS PALM SUNDAY…
To understand Palm Sunday we need to go back in time and location to Jerusalem in the early part of the first century and set the stage.
Jerusalem is a bustling, center-of-the-world land. Filled with people from the nation of Israel and many other nations too! Especially from Rome! Why Rome? Rome had conquered much of the world at that time and Israel was one of its conquests.
Let’s go back to just before the time of the Passover Feasts… a trio of God-ordained Feast days for the Jews. Somewhere between Mid March and early Apil on our calendar.
Three feasts, the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of First Fruits were very special to the Jews.
These were mandatory feast days with very few exceptions. So almost all of the Jews living in Palestine at that time were tightly gathered in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the temple and to take part in a nationwide convocation. You can read about these feast days in Leviticus 23.
During this time, and especially this particular year, the city and surrounding area were also teaming with Roman soldiers keeping the “Pax Romana” or peace Roman style. There had been uprisings by the Jews and unrest. Many Jews wanted liberation from Rome!
Now let’s turn our attention to Jesus. During the time we are talking about, He is a rabbi (teacher of the law), a miracle maker, a rebel, a rockstar! One thing Jesus was not was obscure!
His ministry had become renowned. Some loved Him, some hated Him, more probably followed Him to see the signs and wonders He performed as He spoke of the kingdom of God with great authority. An authority that was blasphemous to the Jewish leadership.
One thing that was always in Jesus’ wake was controversy.
Controversy quickly turned into direct conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leadership. It had been building like steam in a pressure cooker. The Jewish leadership could not keep Jesus in line!
The tipping point of this conflict came when Jesus raised His friend Lazarus from the dead. This had happened days before the Passover feasts!
Jesus was powerful, too powerful and his massive following a threat to the stability of Jewish leadership and Roman occupation!
Jesus spoke with an authority like never heard before. He called God HIS father. In essence, Jesus was proclaiming Himself the long awaited King of the Jews, the Messiah or in the Greek language, Christ! So frightened of losing power and control over Israel, the religious Jewish leadership was openly seeking to put Jesus to death.
Although the Jews had been looking for this King sent by God to put things right they were not looking for a king like Jesus. They did not believe He was the leader the Jews had been anticipating for centuries!
But, He was and is!
Now, let’s look at Palm Sunday…
Jesus, like all good Jews, had come to Jerusalem for the Passover feasts with his disciples. When the people of Jerusalem heard that Jesus was entering the city they came out to the Mount of Olives (just outside the city) to meet Him. Remember, by this time He was of rockstar status. Everyone in Jerusalem and all the surrounding areas knew of His miraculous works.
These crowds of people started casting their cloaks down to make a road for Jesus, an ancient expression of honor and submission.
They also cut branches from palm trees and some spread before him too. Many of the crowd were carrying and waving palm branches, a symbol of victory. National victory over the oppressive Roman empire. Most in the crowd saw Jesus as the leader to set up the earthy self-rule of Israel overthrowing the Roman Empire.
They were greeting Jesus as a triumphant king, coming into the capital city to overtake it. They thought Jesus would be THE ONE to lead a military uprising against the Roman occupiers and usher in a government that would set all things straight. Their cries of Hosannah… “save us” or “God saves” were evidence of this.
Finally, the long awaited Messiah was coming home! The hero of all heroes was coming home to Israel. They had waited so long! Their Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) and their prophets had been prophesying Him for centuries.
He would make all things right again for the Jews who had been captured and overrun and abused by conquering nation after nation for centuries!
The fulfillment of prophecy and Scripture about the Messiah was taking place before their very eyes! Prophesy and Scripture that all Jews knew full well!
Jesus, the Messiah, the King of the Jews, the Savior of the world was coming down the Mount of Olives through the throngs of ecstatic Jews riding on a donkey. The foul of a donkey.
The imagery is rich and so important!
In ancient times if a king would come into a land, overtaken by his country, riding on a white horse he came as a conquering king! He would be ready to set up HIS style of government and meter out HIS type of judgment HIS way!
The Jews were expecting their Messiah to be a riding-on-a-white-horse-kind-of-king! Full of power and fury!
However, if a king rode into a land he had overtaken riding on a donkey it was a symbol that he had come as a peaceable king. A king of kindness and grace and peace.
You see, this was Jesus’ kingly entrance into the capital city of Jerusalem. Jesus was coming in as THE King of peace!
The peace He offered was not between the Jews and the Roman empire. It was much, much greater! It was the peace between God and man!
If only the nation Israel had understood as a whole. They had the Torah (first 5 books of the bible), the Prophets, the covenant, the Temple, the promises and more.
A handful of Jews knew and believed! But the nation as a whole did not! Remember this! I’ll circle back to this in a minute.
Jesus would die only a few days later. Nailed to the cross in the most degrading and torturous way. The sins of the whole world would be put on His sinless body. Your sins and my sins. He would die in our place and pay the debt for sin we could never pay! Then He would be raised from the dead three days later showing He was and IS the victorious King. The King over sin and death. Conqueror of our sins and eternal separation from God! And because of this here’s what Romans 5:1 says about all those who accept Jesus’ gift of salvation…
Therefore, having been justified (made not guilty of our sins because Jesus died for them in our place) by faith (believing that Jesus is your Savior and submitting your life to Him) we have peace with God!
Jesus’ first trip to planet earth was one of setting things right between God and man. Not man and man! He came to this world with a gospel of peace and forgiveness and repentance and love straight from His Father! And this gospel was and is for EVERYONE!
Jesus is coming back! Know this like you know your own face in the mirror!!!! HE IS COMING BACK! But the next time Jesus comes back to planet earth he will be riding on a white horse!
And I saw heaven opened: and behold, a white horse and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. Revelation 19:11
Are you waiting for him? Do you anticipate the Hero of the world’s second coming. When He comes again it will be to set up His kingdom on earth.
Now, let’s touch on what I asked you to remember. The nation Israel as a whole did not recognize their King on Palm Sunday. Even though they could have known the very day the first Palm Sunday happened because the book of Daniel told them.
It was on that first Palm Sunday Jesus rode into Jerusalem in a big symbolic way to show the nation Israel HE was the king they were waiting for. But they did not recognize Him! They did not want the kind of kingship he offered.
If they would have believed, the Kingdom of God would have been ushered in! It is always disbelief that robs us of God’s forgiveness and blessings!
Many of us will receive palm branches today in church. A symbol of Jesus first coming as the KING OF PEACE and the salvation He offers us. A victory indeed!
Do you, will you, receive Him as your KING?
So let’s not forget to look ahead! Our King is coming! He is coming ( and one day soon) on a white horse to set all things in order! Let’s wave our palm branches before the KING… the Overcomer… the Victor…Our Redeemer!
And as the ancient throngs of early believers would say…
MARANATHA which means “THE LORD IS COMING”. Come quickly Lord Jesus!
A scripture to meditate on this week…
“Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” John 12:13
Thanks for sharing the Palm Sunday narrative. I ran across a Jesus Calling free Holy Week devotional earlier today on Facebook. Would be happy to share the address if your interested. Always love this time of year and your posts.
Thank you for sharing the story of Jesus journey to the cross and its importance in our lives. Also came upon a post inviting people to consider putting a palm on their front door or in the window as a way to connect with people during this holiest of weeks as we socially distance. We may be physically isolated, but not separated. So I took the palm that I received at church made a cross out of it, attached it to a greenery wreath and hung it on the front door. Wishing everyone a blessed week as we journey with Jesus!
What a beautiful way to connect with others, Diane!
Yvonne, thank you for today’s history and biblical lesson. Have a blessed Easter week!
Blessed Easter to you too Rita.
Praise God!
I appreciated these details about Palm Sunday. Thank you. Have a blessed Easter.
Blessed Easter to you, Toni!
Yvonne, Thank you for the beautiful explanation of Palm Sunday and the coming of our King Jesus! You have a wonderful way of explaining Biblical things. Happy Easter to you and your family.
Praise God!
Thank you soooo very much for teaching us Gods word 🙏Love this ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I love teaching about God, Cynthia.
After two quite long and intense working weeks, not having time to answer anything, I am back once again. I must say what saddens me the most is that God had sent His own child to redeem us all and we didn´t believe Him, maybe this time, we will, and maybe thanks to this pandemic, we will turn our eyes to Him to ask Him to teach us pray every single day of our lives and to bit a bit thankful for being there for us all eternity.
As I always tell you, thanks for these beautiful thoughts you offer us as a wonderful gift to save and think about in the coming week. Bless you!
Have a wonderful week, you and yours, and also all those people in this blog,
Charo
Thank you for your Sunday posts. You have a wonderful way of explaining these detailed and exciting Scriptures. I really appreciate you and your talents you share daily with us!
You are so welcome, Dale.
Thank you for the beautiful message and the detail included. I know your study must have taken a lot time to complete, and I appreciate it so much. Always look forward to your Sunday teachings.
Praise Him who saves.
Amen!
Yvonne, once again such a beautiful, teachable post. With social distancing occurring and not being able to attend services I find myself seeking scripture and biblical applications more and more. Truly delving into what the Word is saying and how it applied in the past but also to my life today. Thank you for always being a place of wisdom and sharing your knowledge with us. I look forward to visiting Sunday’s at StoneGable even if it’s on a Tuesday! Maranatha my friends, Maranatha!
Beautiful interpretation … you are an effective teacher!
I am a believer by not a church goer. I pray daily multiple times lol if I need strength or guidance.
A question, as I hope it’s not interpreted wrong ….
If Christianity is the chosen faith … Jesus was a Jew…so why isn’t the Jewish faith the faith ‘to be’ ? How and why are being Christian and Jewish different if Jesus was Jewish ?
Any one of any religion or even no religion can be a Christian if they believe in Jesus and accept His sacrificial death on the cross where He bore our sins and took our punishment. And one must then surrender his or her life to Jesus and make Him the Lord their lives. Jesus did come to bring the Jews to faith first, but they rejected Him. He calls everyone to Himself, Jew and Gentile (anyone else in the world). Read
Romans 1: 16-17. I hope this answers your question.
A Christian is a Christ follower so that is why those who believe in Jesus and have accepted Him as their Savior identify with Him rather than being Jewish. There are Messianic Jews. which are Jews who believe Jesus was the true Messiah.
This week I have read your wonderful post today. I am missing not atending mass enormously. I watched the mass on the telly yesterday morning. Yesterday’s and next Saturday’s masses are my most favourite of the year!! They make me feel emotional.
Your explanation of Palm Sunday has made my day. You comment with plain words and a warm heart everything so clearly that even those who do not believe in God, will have a heart touched by the Holy Spirit very soon.
Have a fantastic week full of LOVE and good things.
Big hug once again and thank you again for helping us,
Charo
God bless you Charo!!! xo
Yvonne—as always, thank you for your easy-to-understand scripture post!
Happy Easter to you and yours.
Yvonne,
I do believe although am not a “church goer”. I very much enjoy all aspects of your website. I learn so many things from you. Most important are your teachings of the Bible. Thank you for all you do for faithful readers which I am one.
Valerie, I’m thrilled you are enjoying Sunday’s on StoneGable. I’m a Bible teacher so I’m compelled to teach and spread the good news of salvation through Jesus!
Amen, Amen, our King and Saviour… I welcome you into my heart and my home, Hosanna, Hosanna, ✝️🐑🙏🌿🌿
Amen!
I enjoyed your very beautiful teaching about Palm Sunday. It was inspirational and timely. Thank you so much for taking your time to share.
Janet
Our Church had to postpone its services two weeks ago so we could not go to our usual Palm Sunday Service. We really missed this. It’s hard to believe that our Churches are closed but we do understand that this is for the best in these days of such uncertainty.
We (my husband and I) enjoyed your post on Palm Sunday. We thank you! God Bless you, Yvonne, for sharing with all of us. I always enjoy your Sunday posts.
How happy we are that we have put out trust in the KING OF PEACE and we look forward to the day of His triumphant return! Maranatha!
I love reading your posts each day, Yvonne. I shared today’s post about Palm Sunday. I really appreciate how you set aside Sundays to post Bible-related devotionals. I was very uplifted by it. Blessings to you and your husband.
Your sister in Christ,
Annie
Pastor’s wife
Edmonson Baptist Church
Missouri
Thank you Annie for what you do! Being a pastor’s work is such a big ministry! Have a blessed week!
Hello Yvonne! I so enjoyed this Sunday teaching! Thank you so much for your ministry. Be blessed. 🙂
Thank you Elizabeth!
Yvonne, thank you for sharing God’s word this Palm Sunday. HE is coming again and what a glorious day that will be!
I am so looking forward to that day!
Yvonne, thank you so much for giving us a lesson on Palm Sunday- there was so much that I did not know!! Absolutely wonderful !
May God bless you and keep you! Maranatha!!
Have a blessed day Dana!
Thank you for this wonderful article on Palm Sunday! Sharing it! People need reminders of this Hope that we have even more than ever!
Yes, you are right Jackie!
This is SO be beautifully written and powerful. I’m sending it to my adult children. Please agree with me in prayer that the holy spirit will cause them to desire to be born again. God bless you for spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.
Praying in agreement Pamela!
Yvonne, what a precious reminder of God’s love and salvation. I’m sad that we cannot attend church during this season. Thank you & God bless you!
Right you are, lady, right you are! Loved your message today. Oh that he would come today!!! Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Amen!
Thank you for the wonderful description of Palm Sunday! God bless you!