Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday As we acknowledge Palm Sunday, marking the beginning of the final events of Christ’s ministry on earth, we read a harmonised account from the Gospels to give a fuller and clearer picture of these events.

Matt 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, John 12. As Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, coming to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples ahead, saying: “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.

On it no one has ever sat.

Loose them and bring them to Me.

And if anyone asks you, say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” So the disciples went and found it just as He had said. As they were loosing the colt, the owners said, “Why are you loosing the colt?”

They answered, “The Lord has need of it,”

and they were allowed to take it. They brought the donkey and the colt to Jesus, threw their garments on them, and set Him upon the colt.

This was done to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: “Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”

(Zechariah 9:9) As He went, a very great multitude spread their garments on the road ; others cut down branches from the trees— palm branches —and spread them in the way.

The next day, a great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

They went out to meet Him, rejoicing and praising God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen—especially because He had raised Lazarus from the dead, and those who witnessed it bore record. The multitudes went before Him and followed after Him, crying out: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” As He descended the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples continued to rejoice. But some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “ Teacher, rebuke Your disciples. ” He answered and said, “ I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out. ”

His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. When He came into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” The multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” The Pharisees said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

Then Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple, looked around at all things, and as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.]

What’s Going On Here – The Triumph Entry This was a prophetic timeline being fulfilled according to the Holy scriptures, this is how we know He is the living God as proclaimed in Zechariah 9.9 who came in the flesh [The Coming King]

9“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! 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. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth. ’ The Jewish nation was expecting a King to rise up like those in days gone by to save them from the Roman occupiers.

His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.They were aware of His power since many witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus They were so convinced that they were throwing their clothes on the floor and waving palm leaves.

What does this symbolise 1. Clothes on the Ground – Clothes on the ground equal submission to a king. When the crowd laid their garments in the road, it was a powerful act of submission.

An Old Testament example is given in 2 Kings 9:13 When Jehu was made king: “They… took every man his garment, and put it under him… and blew trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.”

So laying garments down meant: 1- We submit to you 2 – We honour your authority 3 – You are our king 2. Waving Palm branches. Palms were a sign of victory and honour. In Bible times, palm branches were used to welcome: ● Kings ● Conquerors ● Important leaders So when the crowd waved palms, they were treating Jesus like a victorious king. So clothes on the ground means Submission and Waving of Palms means Victory.

However many of those who cheered for Christ as their King —laying their garments on the ground and waving palm branches, were expecting Him to deliver them from Roman rule—later turned away from Him and turned on Him.

Some would go on to cry, “Crucify Him.”

They honoured Him with their lips , but their hearts were far from Him. At the time of His triumphal entry, Jesus spoke these sobering words: “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… because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

He saw the city and wept over it. The Week Before Good Friday. What Can We Learn? For us today, looking back at these events, we must also make sure our hearts are right with God and that we follow Him not for what He can do for us, but because He is King and we have made Him Lord over our life.

Let’s meditate on the following points 1. Instead of laying down cloths as a form of submission we lay down our lives as a form of submission everyday.

We are not free to do what we want, but instead we do the will of God.

Just as Chirst laid His life down and submitted to the Father we lay our lives down and submit to Christ the Son of God. 2. Instead of waving palm branches as a sign of victory, we lift our hands in worship through gratitude and praise, honouring Him as our true King—for He is our victory. 3. To mediate and believe we live in His victory 1 Corinthians 15:57: “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Revelation 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”. The Next Time Christ Come Back Rev 19.11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse .

And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

12His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns.

He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.

13He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.