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Palm Sunday from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the last week of Jesus' life on Earth. It was five days before Passover, the day He would be crucified, a day we know as Good Friday. Palm Sunday leads up to Resurrection Sunday, which we call Easter. It also marks the beginning of Passion Week, also called Holy Week.

Jesus traveled from Galilee to Jerusalem for the Passover feast, stopping in towns along the way to teach and heal the people. The week leading up to this had been filled with electrifying miracles. 

Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, who had been in the grave for four days, and all of Jerusalem heard about it. At the time, it was widely believed that the soul remained near the body for three days, hoping to return to it, but after three days, when decomposition was beginning to set in, all hope of being revived was lost, and the soul departed. Jesus resurrected Lazarus after four days, demonstrating He had power over life and death, a true Savior. Zechariah had prophesied this day would come long before:

(Zechariah 9:9 NKJV)  "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."

The donkey was a humble animal of peace often ridden by royalty because of their gentle nature. Horses were widely regarded as animals of war and were ridden by conquerors like Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Tiberius, and others.

For instance, when Julius Caesar returned to Rome and made his triumphal entry, there was a three-day parade during which he displayed all the captives and loot he had brought back. Jesus' triumphal entry was humble in comparison as He rode in on His donkey. Jesus was a different kind of King, and though the crowds welcomed Him today, they really wanted a king with a sword. 

(Mark 11:8–10 NKJV)  And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

These Jews living under Roman rule were oppressed politically, culturally, economically, and religiously. The Romans negatively affected nearly every aspect of their lives. The Roman occupation imposed heavy taxes on the people of Judea, leading to widespread poverty and discontent. Many Jewish farmers lost their farms to debt because they were unable to pay the high taxes. This led to a few rich people and masses of people living in poverty. 

The Romans appointed Jewish rulers such as Herod the Great and his successors, who were considered Roman puppets. These rulers frequently mistreated the Jewish population to maintain their favor with Rome. 

There was religious interference because although the Romans allowed the practice of Judaism, there was disrespect towards Jewish customs and their temple. The Romans themselves worshiped many idols, including their emperor. At one point, Emperor Caligula demanded that they place his statue in the Temple, though he was assassinated before it happened.

 The Romans employed crucifixion as a public spectacle of extreme brutality, specifically targeting rebels to enforce obedience through fear. They would first scourge the condemned, beating them with whips lined with broken pottery until their bones showed. 

The Jewish people wanted a deliverer to come and set them free from their oppressors. They were expecting a warrior king like David who would expel the Romans and establish a powerful, independent Jewish state again. So, Jesus' message of a spiritual kingdom was both revolutionary and misunderstood.

They quoted Psalm 118, the Psalm that had been sung 100 years earlier when the warrior Judas Maccabaeus drove out the Greeks. Even the palm branches were symbolic of the crowd's political aspirations, for the palm was the symbol on the coin of the second Maccabean revolt. Waving palm branches was symbolic of a nationalistic spirit. The crowd fully expected to see Jesus issue a call to arms and drive out the hated Romans (R. Kent Hughes).

Jesus told Pontius Pilate that His kingdom was not of this world:

(John 18:36 NKJV)  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."

Earthly kingdoms enforce their rule through police and military, but the Kingdom of God changes people's hearts and works from the inside out. People follow God because they love Him, not because they are made to. 

The religious establishment, led by Caiaphas, the high priest, along with other Jewish leaders, had identified Jesus Christ and now Lazarus as serious threats to their powerless religion. Jesus was resurrecting people who had been dead for four days. Lazarus was one of them, and he was now walking around and talking to people, so they planned to eliminate him as well.

While Jesus was delivering people from evil spirits and healing them, the high priest Caiaphas was busy maintaining the status quo, enforcing religious laws, and preserving the power and prestige of the religious elite. Jesus pulled the curtains back and exposed the underbelly of their religion, and they hated Him for it. Their desire to maintain power was threatened by Jesus' growing influence, which led them to plot against Him. Instead of appreciating Jesus healing people, the Pharisees became offended and envious of His popularity. 

(John 12:19 NKJV)  The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!"

So, the Jewish leaders felt frustrated. The disciples felt vindicated because they had left everything to follow Jesus, and now He was about to come to power. The crowds were thrilled and felt the long-awaited Messiah had finally come to deliver them from Rome. Meanwhile, the Roman soldiers were on high alert with the large crowds. 

All of this tension culminated in what is known as Holy Week. On that first Palm Sunday, after Jesus entered Jerusalem, He went into the temple, and because it was already late, He left with the Twelve to spend the night in Bethany, a nearby village. 

Palm Sunday was the first day of the last week of Jesus' life on Earth, and there has never been a week that began with such promise and ended with such sacrifice, but there is hope, for the following Sunday is resurrection day!

You can pray this with me if you like: 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You so much for letting me see another Palm Sunday. Please reveal Your Word to me and open my mind to understand Your Scriptures. Help me see the world through Your eyes and make what is important to You, important to me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!