What Is Palm Sunday And Its Significance?

Are you asking the same question too? What is Palm Sunday and what makes it so special?

The Lord presented Himself to the crowd to ask them to make a stand for or against Him that Day.  In our times, similarly, He stands at the door and knocks asking to come in. 

Shall we keep the door shut and ignore Him or shall we let Him in?  That was His question that Palm Sunday.  It is His same question today.   Will He celebrate or mourn?  Does that depend on our response?

Since the start of His ministry, The Lord Jesus has maintained a very low profile.  He would tell those whom He healed not to tell anyone, or when asked to take a prominent stance, He would say- His hour has not yet come. 

After the feeding of the five thousand in John chapter six, Jesus had to escape from the crowd because they wanted to take Him by force to make Him king (John 6:15).  But in this account in Luke 19:28 (also found in Matt 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, John 12:12-17), the Lord does the opposite.  

He presents Himself, intentionally to the people, in the open and unmistakably as Messiah and King, in fulfillment of prophecy. 

Up until this moment, to the people and even to His disciples, the events are pointing to a coming conclusion and the buzz is about Him going to Jerusalem to set up His kingdom. It is time and the anticipation is rising to a high pitch.

At this time, Jerusalem was filled with visitors.  Jews from near and far regions were in the city to celebrate Passover.  Those from Galilee and surrounding areas knew about the Lord’s ministry, teaching, and healing and the word is that He will be in Jerusalem. 

So, it is with anticipation that the people were looking forward to seeing Him, listen to Him and watch Him do what many had thought He would do – deliver the people from Rome and set up His kingdom in Jerusalem.  As we already know, it was not to be.

He Prearranged a Ride Into Jerusalem on a Donkey

 In Luke 19:30, we see that the Lord chose and arranged to ride a donkey to travel from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem.  It is not a long ride but about a 20-minute walk from the hill (Mount of Olives), down into the valley, and up into Jerusalem.  

Please observe what He is doing.  He is not riding a strong horse like a conquering king, just like how Napoleon would enter Paris after a great conquest.  He rides a lowly donkey. 

We see in Zechariah 9:9 that what He is doing is in direct fulfillment of prophesy where it was said “Rejoice daughter of Zion!…behold your king is coming to you; He is just and having salvation; lowly and riding on a donkey; a colt, the foal of a donkey.”  

The significance of this is that what He is doing is not a political take-over of Israel from the Roman occupation.  He is being consistent with the humility of His coming sacrifice and death.  Notice that He is bringing salvation, not political salvation but spiritual salvation from sin.

It Is the Time to Acknowledge Him with Praise

In Luke 19:36-38, as the people saw Him coming, we are told that many spread down their clothes on the road much like unrolling a red carpet to welcome a dignitary.   

Some have taken palm branches from the surrounding trees and waived these as He passed by; hence, the name Palm Sunday.   Then the whole multitude of disciples began to rejoice and praise God loudly for the mighty works they had seen saying:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (v38)

In the comparative account in Matthew, their utterance is recorded thus: “Hosanna to the Son of David.  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt 21:9)  “Hosanna” in the Hebrew application means “save now”. 

Paraphrasing this into our common expression, it would be “You, who God has chosen to bring salvation to us, do it now and save us!”  It is an admission and acceptance that Jesus is the chosen One, the Messiah, the Savior and that He should fulfill that charge now.

 Understanding what the people are shouting, some of the Pharisees called to Him and asked, “Teacher rebuke your disciples” (v39) (In effect, they were asking Jesus to stop these disciples from making these statements about Him- attributing kingship and acknowledging Him as the Sent One (Messiah). 

They believed that such words are blasphemous.  They would have been correct if Jesus is not the Messiah.

Jesus answered: “I tell you that if these (disciples) should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out (cry out praise)” (verse 40).  The Lord in effect said, “This is the appointed time that the people ought to acknowledge Me as Lord and King, if they don’t, the stones which line the road will be the ones to do it.” 

The Lord is known to correct any error or falsehood if one is presented before Him.  By not correcting the disciples, He confirmed the truth of the statement.  For indeed, He is the sent One, the Messiah, the King of heaven and earth.  He comes in the name of the LORD.

Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem, knowing their worship is not real

Here is what is written in Luke 19 verses 41-44.

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it saying “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.

For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Jesus wept for Jerusalem and its people for the upcoming judgment on them.  They were stubborn and hard-hearted, refusing to believe in Him, the Savior, God sent. 

God visited them, sending His Son and they rejected Him. Because of their rejection of Him, a severe, long-running judgment is about to come.  

Notice that the judgment is also on their “children within you”, meaning children yet unborn.  History tells us that in a few years from when Jesus spoke these words, the Roman Legion (in 70 AD), under Titus Vespasian will lay a siege on Jerusalem and attack it and level it to the ground, its walls and its temple. 

This event is also prophesied in Matthew 24:2 and Daniel 9:26.  In this latter verse, it is written that the people of the prince who is to come (the Romans), shall destroy the city and the sanctuary and the end of it shall be with a flood.  

We know that this was not a literal flood but death to many and a scattering of the people, away from Israel and into all regions of Asia and Europe. So, it is not surprising that the Jews were all over the place, even in Germany and its neighbors, where they will later resurface as victims and survivors of the Holocaust.  

To read more about the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, visit  http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/1990/issue28/2808.html

It is important to note that in Matthew 27:25 when Pilate washed his hands and proclaimed his own innocence about the upcoming killing of Jesus, all the people in the crowd owned to the judgment saying “His blood be on us and on our children.”  

The famine, pestilence, death from the hands of the Romans in that siege, and the exile from their homeland are on their own hands (of the Jews) and their children.   All these are the result of their rejection of Jesus.

The Moral of the Story

Jesus has presented Himself to the city and its inhabitants and the pilgrims who were there for the Passover. 

Yes, some have acknowledged Him and have in fact proclaimed His kingship, the king who comes in the name of the Lord, but for many of them, their profession is momentary and pickle and is motivated by a wrong motive.  

For many of them, the kind of deliverance they were expecting Him to do is the political and military deliverance from the Romans.  They have seen Him raise the dead, heal the dying, walk on water, multiply the loaves and the fishes. 

Surely to defeat the Romans is easier.  It is truly understandable that those in the crowd were so incensed when they saw that the “Deliverer” they were expecting to lead them, ended up tied, mocked, and under the judgment of Pilate, the Roman governor. 

So, without much urging by the chief priest and his mob group, they too will join in the chorus, “Crucify him!”

Jesus presented Himself, here, on what tradition calls Palm Sunday, as the Lamb of God for the sacrifice, yes, Messiah, not the conquering king but the one who will die in place of sinners. 

He presented himself to give the people a chance to make their choice, for or against Him.  It is somewhat like the Last Call before He leaves earth.  We know that the majority of the people chose to reject Him. 

They chose instead Barabbas, a common criminal to be released by Pilate instead of Jesus.   In a few days, they will be shouting “crucify Him!”

Now, there were 4 kinds of people that day in the city of Jerusalem.  

First, there were the true disciples, followers who were later scattered, confused, and disappointed but never-the-less remained committed to Him (Mat 26:31-32).  

Second, there were also those who we will call takers, those drawn to Him for what they hope to get.  Some were patriotic who wanted a strong and mighty leader to lead and deliver them from the Romans.

In this group are also those who experienced the miracles of Jesus who wanted to make Him king so He can provide the healing, the food, and the comfort they could get. They were looking for a king with the wrong motive, looking for the gift but not the Giver (John 6:15).  

Then, third were those who did not care, the indifferent and uninvolved.  They may not have shouted with the crowd asking to crucify Him but not understanding what is happening, indifferent and uninvolved (Luke 21:34).  

The fourth group was the direct enemies of God, the political and religious leaders, and their followers.  They follow the traditions taught by men, refusing to acknowledge the Messiah in spite of what He said and what they know from scriptures. 

They did not want to submit to God and give up their pre-eminent position and leadership (Luke 19:14).  As the people were divided then, so are we divided even today. 

As the choice was set before them, so it is set before us now.  As He has called then, He also calls now.  How do we respond?

On that day of triumphant entry, Palm Sunday, the Father presented His Son, the Messiah to men.  In Him was (is) salvation.  He was (is) the embodiment of God’s plan to save man from his sin.  He was (is) the Lamb of God, the sacrificial lamb prepared for the slaughter, who takes away the sin of the world.  

The Father did not present anyone else, as the Way to Him, not Moses and the Law, not any angel or prophet but His Son. Like then, today there are also 4 types of people to whom the decision about what to do with Jesus is presented.  

We could be the true disciples.  Or, we could be the takers or the indifferent and uninvolved.  Or, we could be God’s enemies.  

It is a choice we need to make.  This is what the people of God will do.  Respond to His invitation with shouts of Hosanna! Hosanna!  with conviction and meaning it with all our hearts. 

We welcome the Lord Jesus, truly and sincerely!  We receive Him for who He is and what He represents.  We are not to focus on the gifts alone but our focus is on Him, the Giver. 

We welcome Him ready to accept what receiving Him entails – “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). 

We welcome Him to lead, willing to go wherever He leads us, for we know that He is the wise and loving God who is trustworthy to be made Lord in our lives.  Hosanna!  Hosanna! Lord Jesus!

Victor

June 29, 2021 (rev)