Palm Sunday

Jesus’ Triumphant Entry

"The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,

“Praise God!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of theLord!
Hail to the King of Israel!”

Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:

“Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem.
Look, your King is coming,
    riding on a donkey’s colt.”

His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.

Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign." John 12:12-18

First Palm Sunday

Like with other things Jesus said or did, riding up to Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday, was also among those things even His disciples didn't understand, at least at the time.

But like everything else long prophesied about the messiah, these things have to happen to fulfill all the prophesies written about Him.

Riding in a donkey, being hailed as their King as recorded in all the gospels was prophesied by the prophet Zechariah about 500 years before it happened (Zech 9:9).

But when the prophet wrote this, much like how other prophets wrote theirs, it appears like this was going to happen in their time. In Zechariah chapter 2 verse 10, he also wrote: “Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. -- prophesying the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us, 500 years later (John 1:14).

Yes at Zechariah's time, he urged the people to shout and be glad as he wrote that their King was coming. But no one knew it was not for another five centuries.

Yes Jesus was coming, and people then, did not understand. Jesus did come, and people in His time did not understand. 2,000 years later, Jesus came and still people do not understand.

The Big Picture

What connects it all and makes sense out of all these? It is these writings of actual events and prophesies written down and the miracles and the changed lives that happened before and still happening today.

What is missing? Just people who like back then, were experiencing the presence and the power of God and are finally able to see the real meaning, reason and purpose why all these have to happen.

Passover

During the first Palm Sunday, the Jewish people were celebrating Passover, their remembrance of when their ancestors were liberated from slavery and oppression. On the same feast, Jesus was to become the Passover Lamb for the liberation of everyone.

New Zechariahs, and Peters, and Johns and Pauls are being born and still being used today as much as new doubting Thomases and Judases and pharisees and Roman oppressors and their legions and cohorts are.

The question is, as before, when are the people able to "see" the whole picture. And perhaps, like in the days of old, some never will.

Those of you who do, you have this time, the holiest of weeks, to be thankful, be joyful and to remember, to reflect, to share the good news and to sing "Hosanna in the highest".


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