What Is Palm Sunday?

Last updated on: April 11, 2019 at 1:12 pm by Jack Wellman

What Is Palm Sunday? 2019-04-11T13:12:06-05:00 Jack Wellman

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What is Palm Sunday all about? Why is it called Palm Sunday and should Christians participate in it or observe it?

The Triumphant Entry

Palm Sunday is observed in remembrance of Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem on the final week of His earthly ministry. This entry into the city is recorded by the gospel writers including in Matthew 21:1-5 “Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” This was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 62:11 which said that Zion’s king would come someday but He would come in a humble manner the first time but the next time He comes, He will come not as the Lamb of God but as a Lion, riding a white horse and coming to judge those who have refused to believe in Him.

The Origin of the Palms

Why is it called Palm Sunday? It is from the “leafy braches that they had cut from the nearby fields” which may have been palm tree branches (Mark 11:6). This is recorded in Mark 11:7-10 “And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” Why did Jesus ride in on a colt which is another name for a young donkey, which no man had ever ridden on before? It could be the contrast between Jesus’ coming into this world the first time in a meek and humble manner, very lowly in nature compared to the next time He comes as King of kings and Lord of lords. He humbled Himself the first time but the next time He comes in all power, majesty, and glory.

Solomon also came in on a mule or donkey for his coronation to be king and was recorded in 1 Kings 1:33-44. There is also the Middle Eastern tradition where kings came in riding on a donkey if they came in peace but came in riding on a white horse if they were coming for the purpose of war or as victors. This very contrast is mentioned in Zechariah 20:9-10 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.” This may be why Jesus came in riding on a donkey because the next time He comes riding on a horse it will be in triumph as the King of all the earth.

Hosanna in the Highest

When Jesus came into Jerusalem in His triumphant entrance, the people shouted “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest” (Mark 11:9-1). Why did they should Hosanna? The Greek word of “hosanna” is basically a call to say “Save us.” Save them from what? They wanted Christ to deliver them from their Roman occupation and be their King to free them from their captivity under the Roman rule. That may be why just a few days later the crowds went from “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest” to “Crucify Him” (Mark 15:13). How quickly they turned from worshiping Him to calling for His death! Their motives were purely selfish in nature.

The Reason for the Palms

When Jesus entered into Jerusalem the people “spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields” as a form of tribute for a worthy King (Mark 11:8) and today many Christians observe Palm Sunday as a way in which they give tribute to this King of all creation. Some churches give out parts of a palm for the congregation in observance of this same event. Many churches collect these palms for the following year to be burned on a Wednesday on that day that is appropriately called Ash Wednesday. Palm Sunday is also the start of the Holy Week, the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The Jews may have waved these palms and placed their cloaks on the ground where Jesus’ donkey road on as a form of reverence to the True King of Israel and may have been openly challenging the Roman Empire and its rulers.

Conclusion

The next time the world sees Jesus, He will not be coming in lowliness and in humility as the Lamb of God but as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah on a white horse. He will come as a conquering King to take possession of the earth’s kingdoms and begin His rule of righteousness. He will establish the kingdom of God on earth which will have no end. If you have never bent the knee in humbleness and submitted to God, repented or turned from your sins, confessed them to God, and placed your trust in the coming King of kings and Lord of Lords, then you will be shut out of this great kingdom for all time. Today, if you will hear the voice of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 6:2), you can be born again and live in this kingdom (John 3:3). If not, you have sealed your fate for all time and made your decision to be in a place of utter despair (Rev 20:11-15) with weeping and gnashing of teeth for time without end (Luke 13:28).

Another Reading on Patheos to Check Out: What Did Jesus Really Look Like: A Look at the Bible Facts

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon

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