Living His WordSample

Palm Sunday celebrates the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem---when the people honored him by waving palm branches. Why palm branches? In ancient times, the palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory. In the traditional liturgical calendar Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week, the last week of Lent. Holy Week is the week immediately prior to Easter Sunday.

The Bible takes Palm Sunday very seriously in that it appears in all four gospels. Very few of the stories and sayings of Jesus appear in all four (not even the birth of Jesus). The story is found in Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-44; and John 12:12-16. As our verses for today indicate, it was also prophesied about in Zechariah 9:9-10.

Palm Sunday is special because it celebrates the day that Jesus formally accepted the title of Messianic King and formally accepted the people's praise. Palm Sunday is nothing less than Jesus’ revelation of himself as the Divine Messianic King prophesied of old.

When we celebrate Palm Sunday and wave the branches, we join the people of Jesus’ time in acknowledging his Sovereign Messianic Kingship. And we anticipate the praise and worship of the future multitude of celebrants from every tribe, people, and language prophesied in Revelation 7:9-10 who stand “ . . . in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, ‘Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb’!”