Hi friend! Guess what? We are in March now, and Easter is just a few weeks away. WOW! I’m continuing with my Easter series, and today, we are heading to Jerusalem for Jesus’s triumphal entry on Palm Sunday.
To read my first two posts in the series, check them out here: part 1 and part 2.
I grew up going to a small church in Ohio, and when we celebrated Palm Sunday, it was always fun to hear the story about Jesus riding a donkey and the people waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna!”
Are you ready to grab your Bible and favorite beverage and meet me on the road to Jerusalem at the Mount of Olives? Here, we find Jesus preparing for the week ahead; He knows His time is drawing near to His death and resurrection.
Jesus has been preaching His message of God’s coming Kingdom for the past three years. He has been healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, making the lame walk, and performing other miracles, but recently, He raised His friend from the dead!
Before we meet Jesus, let’s take a quick trip back to Exodus 12. God told Moses and Aaron about His plan to save His people and gave them instructions. They were to choose a one-year-old male lamb without blemish. Then, they were to observe it for four days.
Jesus and His disciples are traveling to Jerusalem to prepare and celebrate Passover. As they drew closer to the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples ahead.
He told them they would find a donkey tied up, never ridden. They were to tell anyone who asked why they were taking it to say, “The Teacher needs it,” and that they would return it soon.
It seems odd, but in those days it was common for religious leaders to make prior arrangements when needed. In Matthew’s gospel, he says that the colt’s mother was there to bring both of them.
This colt has never had a rider, meaning it could be used for a sacred purpose. Take a moment and think about that. This donkey’s holy purpose was to carry Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Zechariah prophesied that the King would come riding on a donkey.
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.
Zechariah 9:9
The disciples found the donkey, as Jesus said, and brought it to Him. Then, they placed their clothes on the donkey’s back, made a saddle, and helped Jesus climb on its back.
As always, whenever Jesus was around, a large crowd gathered. They took their clothes, laid them on the road, gathered palm branches, and began waving them.
I often wondered why it was called Palm Sunday and what the palm branches were so important for. In my study, I found my answer! Palm trees were the first to be cultivated, symbolizing victory, success, and beauty; palm leaves were also used in the Feast of Tabernacles.
As people placed palm branches on the road and waved them in the air, they showed honor and laid a triumphal carpet for Jesus to ride on. Even though most Jews did not accept Jesus, when He entered the town, it was triumphant in 3 ways.
There is now a crowd in the front and following behind Jesus. They wave palm branches and shout, praising God for the miracles they have seen.
Then, the crowds who went ahead of Him and those who 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
LORD, save us!
LORD, please grant us success!
He who comes in the name of the LORD is blessed.
From the house of the LORD, we bless you!
Psalm 118:25-26
Close your eyes and listen to the crowd shouting, “Hosanna!” “Save us!” Jerusalem is a wild place. Everyone is shouting, and people are pushing to get closer to Jesus to hear what He says and maybe be healed.
The Pharisees are plotting how to get rid of this Jesus. The Romans are trying to keep the people from rising up and keeping their rule over the Jews. All the while, we see Jesus riding a donkey, entering Jerusalem with one thing on His mind.
The week is just beginning. Jesus still has work to complete, but He knows His time is coming soon. As He rides on the donkey on this beautiful Palm Sunday, He hears the cries of “Hosanna!”, “Save Us!” and His heart fills with love. The week is just beginning, but by the end of it, Jesus will answer those cries.
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