As Christians across the planet celebrates Palm Sunday to
mark Christ’s triumphal entry in Jerusalem as Christian we need to meditate and
understand the meaning and importance of this day.
Palm Sunday is a Christian feast celebrated to commemorate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem which is mentioned in all the four Gospel books, it is the Sunday before Easter, and marks the beginning of Holy Week, the week of events leading up to Jesus' death.
According to the bible Christ rode into Jerusalem just days before his arrest, persecution, death and resurrection.
He went into Jerusalem knowing full well that his persecution would be in a couple of days yet he did not run away from His destiny, as he understood that the future of humanity depended on Him.
He understood that he had to go through suffering to deliver the human race from its fall since sin was brought into the world by our first parents.
The bible tells us that Christ rode a donkey which he had early on instructed his disciples to fetch to fulfill the prophet Zechariah words “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” (Zechariah 9:9 King James Version)
Some may wonder why Jesus did not ride a horse instead why choose a donkey: the donkey symbolized peace thus marking Christ entry in Jerusalem on the donkey as being the prince of peace but this is not seen immediately after his arrival in Jerusalem there are a couple of incidents that depicts trying times ahead starting with his cleansing of the temple by driving the buyers and sellers in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves which must have really annoyed many.
The procession was also marked by the crowd spreading their cloaks and palm trees on the street: the palm trees were a symbol of victory and triumph and the crowd’s reception on Jesus was that of a king therefore Jerusalem was welcoming their King and messiah home.
They sang a psalm of King David “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD” (PSALM 118: 26 King James Version).
Although Jesus knew of the trials that lay ahead of him He still went ahead to fulfill the will of God he knew the person who will betray him in fact he lived with him, dined with him and considered him a brother yet he was not resentful.
He knew his disciples would abandon him, he even revealed to Peter that he will deny him thrice before the cock crows, he knew his persecutors were the same people he had preached God’s word to, fed, healed and prayed for but still he neither escaped his cross nor hated humanity but he bore it all for us.
Palm Sunday is a Christian feast celebrated to commemorate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem which is mentioned in all the four Gospel books, it is the Sunday before Easter, and marks the beginning of Holy Week, the week of events leading up to Jesus' death.
According to the bible Christ rode into Jerusalem just days before his arrest, persecution, death and resurrection.
He went into Jerusalem knowing full well that his persecution would be in a couple of days yet he did not run away from His destiny, as he understood that the future of humanity depended on Him.
He understood that he had to go through suffering to deliver the human race from its fall since sin was brought into the world by our first parents.
The bible tells us that Christ rode a donkey which he had early on instructed his disciples to fetch to fulfill the prophet Zechariah words “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” (Zechariah 9:9 King James Version)
Some may wonder why Jesus did not ride a horse instead why choose a donkey: the donkey symbolized peace thus marking Christ entry in Jerusalem on the donkey as being the prince of peace but this is not seen immediately after his arrival in Jerusalem there are a couple of incidents that depicts trying times ahead starting with his cleansing of the temple by driving the buyers and sellers in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves which must have really annoyed many.
The procession was also marked by the crowd spreading their cloaks and palm trees on the street: the palm trees were a symbol of victory and triumph and the crowd’s reception on Jesus was that of a king therefore Jerusalem was welcoming their King and messiah home.
They sang a psalm of King David “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD” (PSALM 118: 26 King James Version).
Although Jesus knew of the trials that lay ahead of him He still went ahead to fulfill the will of God he knew the person who will betray him in fact he lived with him, dined with him and considered him a brother yet he was not resentful.
He knew his disciples would abandon him, he even revealed to Peter that he will deny him thrice before the cock crows, he knew his persecutors were the same people he had preached God’s word to, fed, healed and prayed for but still he neither escaped his cross nor hated humanity but he bore it all for us.
So as we mark this day we should also forge ahead with our lives in triumph remembering his victorious entry in Jerusalem, there might a Judas plotting your fall either at work, home, and school or wherever you are but as we look upon the victory of our lord, we also become victors.
We always stress so much about the future and worrying about what lays ahead of yet we can never alter God’s plan for us, neither can we change the course that the lord has set out for us as. The bible says none of us by worrying can add a single a hour to our lives. “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”(Matt 6:27 new international version) We actually reduce our lifespan by stressing too much about work, colleagues who don’t like us, the kind of dress to wear and so on.
Therefore as we enter the holy week and join other Faithfull’s around the world to celebrate this day lets all take time to ponder upon his sufferings and all he gave up for us let’s borrow a leaf from our lord’s triumphal entry in Jerusalem and face our adversaries and trials in victory and triumph, he already fought the battle for us and won, we only have to receive the medal as we sing Hosanna Hosanna in the highest!
HAVE A VICTORIOUS
PALM SUNDAY AND WEEK
