BY Argie Simonis
Palm Sunday reminds us of the fact that Jesus entered Jerusalem and the people welcomed Him by spreading palm branches before Him. The palm tree symbolized abundance, eternal life, fertility, good luck, growth, longevity, justice, victory and wisdom. In Ancient Greece and Rome, palm branches were given to victorious athletes or gladiators.
So what is the main message of Palm Sunday? What does it symbolize for us Christians today and what lessons do we learn from this story?
It is an event that is described in all 4 gospels. I have chosen to speak from John because there are 2 prophecies from the Old Testament that I would like to comment on. The other three Gospel writers recorded people placing their clothes as well as palm branches on the road for Jesus to pass (Matthew 21:8, Mark 11:8 and Luke 19:36). Apparently, this was a way of showing great honor and respect. Let's see how John describes it to us:
"On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord.
And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,
Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, your King comes, sitting on an ass's colt.
These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things to him.
The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bore record.
For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle." John 12:12-18
It is the first time that the people of Israel recognize Jesus not just as a prophet, but as a king:
"Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord." John 12:13
The word Hossana comes from the Aramaic language and its literal interpretation is "Save, now!". See how it is referred in Psalm 118:
"Save now, I beseech you, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech you, send now prosperity.
Blessed be he that comes in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD." Psalm 118:26
This is what the people were shouting. If we also examine Psalm 107, in a few words it describes to us that when the people of Israel had problems, they cried out to God and He delivered them.
Here's how the story unfolds:
"They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses."
And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
For he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." Psalm 107:4-9
He goes on:
"He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing." Psalm 107:20-22
Notice that the Lord did not rebuke them when they cried out for help in their need. What He tells them is:
"may this also be your way of life and worship Me all the time and not only when you are in need".
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- Don't be afraid -
"Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, your King comes, sitting on an ass's colt." John 12:15
This command "fear not" is the most repeated phrase in the Bible. It is a command in the imperative, without having a negative character and it is in the Bible more than a hundred times. It has the meaning of rest:
"Don't worry, I've got it covered"
The devil will often come to mess up your mind. In the midst of the pain or the problem you are facing, he will try to sow fear in you. He will take something small and try to make it big. Through a simple cold, for example, he will try to convince you that you have coronavirus. So don't let him do that. Stay in God's word and His promises:
"Don't be afraid, I've taken care of it."
Consider this too. Even through the pandemic, the Lord gave us the opportunity to minister to the world in new ways. This online ministry that we have, is one of those ways. The Lord was not the author of this pandemic, but took what the devil intended for evil and turned it into a blessing:
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Rom. 8:28
So regardless of what is happening around us, the Lord always gives us opportunities to minister to people and thank Him for all the wonderful works He does in our lives. That is why we persist in prayer, but at the same time we use every opportunity that the Lord brings before us.
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- Not as you expect it. -
Let's go back to John. 12:15:
"Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, your King comes, sitting on an ass's colt." John 12:15
We see that the King is coming, but not as we expected. What took place here is the fulfillment of the prophecy of the prophet Zechariah:
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King comes to you: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on an ass, and on a colt the foal of an ass." Zech. 9:9
Most of the time at that time, a king rode into the city on a war mount rather than a donkey. And in fact this war horse was the tallest of all the other horses. And this is because this king wanted to show that he was the highest of all others. Consider now what Jesus did. Not only did He come riding on a lower animal that was not a horse, not even a normal donkey, but a colt, which is even lower. This is what Zacharias had said. Your king comes low, brings justice,
"sitting on a colt the foal of an ass."
This story is also mentioned in the other 3 gospels as I mentioned above, but in Matthew there is a detail that few have noticed:
"Saying to them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway you shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them to me." Μatt. 21:2
So they brought them to the Lord and He rode the colt. The reason He also asked for the female donkey may have been because the foal would be calmer with his mother by his side. Look at this picture now and compare: A king's war horse, a normal military horse, a donkey, and Jesus sitting on the colt next to the donkey. That is, even lower. It is quite possible that His feet were dragging on the ground.
This is where Jesus is trying to tell them something.
"I'm coming, but not the way you expected me to be."
Many of those same people who worshiped the Lord that day, a few days later denied Him and were part of the crowd shouting,
“Crucify him. Crucify Him.”
As long as he was the king they wanted to be, they offered him palm trees, but when Jesus became what they really needed Him to be, their Messiah and Savior, they gave Him a crown of thorns.
In Psalm 107, we cry out to the Lord to save us. So when it does how do we respond? Let us give him our thanks and praise. The Lord always hears our prayers and is faithful to forgive our sins when we ask Him:
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John. 1:9
He will bring a permanent solution to a temporary problem because he is Jesus. He is the King who may not come exactly as we expect Him, but He will take what the enemy intended for evil and turn it into a blessing!
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- Some more comments -
In verse 16 He says that His disciples did not understand what was happening at first. John explains it to us because:
"(But this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" John. 7:39
John 7:39 says that the Holy Spirit was not given until Jesus was glorified. Since the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to teach us all things and to remember all that Jesus told us (John 14:26), it is understandable why the disciples did not understand this. Without the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we have no understanding:
"But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1Cor. 2:14
This is a very beautiful recommendation for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Notice that Jesus did not try to explain all this to them. He let the Holy Spirit do His work.
In verse 17 we see that Jesus' miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead was one of the reasons Jesus received this acceptance. This is how we are called to operate with the authority that the Lord has given us, so that we are representatives of His kingdom:
"And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." Mark 16:20
This way we will also attract the crowds.
Something to emphasize here is that the people worshiped the One who rode the donkey and not the donkey itself. So too, when praise comes for the things God does through us, we are not actually the ones receiving the praise, but all the honor is given to the Lord.
Amen! 🙏
Watch on our YouTube channel the video with English subtitles:
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