Palm Sunday

This weekend is one of my favorite unheralded holidays of the year. We call it Palm Sunday, the commemoration of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

“And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before and that followed, cried, saying Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:6-9).

This kickoff to Holy Week was one of the few events that was so significant it was recorded in each of the Four Gospels in the New Testament (Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, John 12). There is a lot of symbolism, historical background, fulfillment of prophesies and additional meanings to the event but I keep the simple reality in my mind. This was a time when the public (in public) praised Jesus, recognized Him and hailed Him as a King. Most of the time when we think of the general population they rushed to Jesus to be healed or listen to Him teach, but this time they came out to celebrate Him. And Jesus humbly accepted it because He is the King, the Messiah.

Too often we hear people say that “the people rejected Jesus” or didn’t listen to him, that his following was small. This simply isn’t true. Even at the beginning of his ministry, for his Sermon on the Mount, Matthew writes that “there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judaea, and from beyond Jordan” (Matthew 4:25). Later he fed 5000 men plus women and children, another time he fed 4000. Once he was teaching in a house that was so crowded that people cut a hole in the roof to get to him. Many times he had to go into a boat to teach because there were so many people around him, or up a mountain to get some space. And at this point, the final week of his earthly ministry, “a very great multitude” came to see him and praise him; a multitude so big that the corrupt Jewish leaders were afraid to take/arrest him because of his throng of supporters.

What a beautiful moment that was. I know that Jesus is the King of kings and he is my king. I am grateful for this simple holiday where we can remember and celebrate Jesus as not just the babe in Bethlehem or the beaten Savior on the cross, but as King, Lord, Ruler, God, Messiah, and Master.