Palm Sunday is the day we celebrate the
triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, one week before His resurrection
(Matthew 21:1–11). As Jesus entered the holy city, He neared the culmination of
a long journey toward Golgotha. He had come to save the lost (Luke 19:10), and
now was the time - this was the place - to secure that salvation. Palm Sunday
marked the start of what is often called “Passion Week,” the final seven days
of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
Palm Sunday began with Jesus and His disciples
traveling over the Mount of Olives. The Lord sent two disciples ahead into the
village of Bethphage to find an animal to ride. They found the unbroken donkey
and the colt, just as Jesus had said they would (Luke 19:29–30). When they
untied the donkey, the owners began to question them. The disciples responded
with the answer Jesus had provided: “The Lord needs it” (Luke 19:31–34).
Amazingly, the owners were satisfied with that answer and let the disciples go.
“They brought [the donkey] to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put
Jesus on it” (Luke 19:35).
As Jesus ascended toward Jerusalem, a large
multitude gathered around Him. This crowd understood that Jesus was the
Messiah; what they did not understand was that it wasn’t time to set up the
kingdom yet - although Jesus had tried to tell them so (Luke 19:11–12). The
crowd’s actions along the road give rise to the name “Palm Sunday”: “A very
large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the
trees and spread them on the road” (Matthew 21:8). In strewing their cloaks on
the road, the people were giving Jesus the royal treatment - King Jehu was given
similar honor at his coronation (2 Kings 9:13). John records the detail that
the branches they cut were from palm trees (John 12:13).
On that first Palm Sunday, the people also honored Jesus verbally: “The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” (Matthew 21:9). In their praise of Jesus, the Jewish crowds were quoting Psalm 118:25–26, an acknowledged prophecy of the Christ. The allusion to a messianic psalm drew resentment from the religious leaders present: “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’” (Luke 19:39). However, Jesus saw no need to rebuke those who told the truth. He replied, “I tell you if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40).
