Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Passion Week. Passion, appropriately comes from a Greek word meaning to suffer. Throughout the week, even today on Palm Sunday, we see Jesus' suffering. Here is what happened on Palm Sunday:
The Triumphal Entry: Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey as the crowds wave palm branches and shout "Hosanna!" to welcome the conquering King (Matt. 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-10, Luke 19:28-40, John 12:12-19)
The Cleansing of the Temple: Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling sacrifices. These people had corrupted the holy temple through materialism. (Matt 21:10-17, Mark 11:11)
Jesus Weeps for Jerusalem: Jesus' love and passion for His people is shown as He laments Israel's refusal to accept His true identity as God Himself who came to them. (Luke 19:41-44)
Jesus Returns to Bethany: As Sunday concludes, Jesus returns to Bethany. He will return to Jerusalem tomorrow. (Matt 21:17, Mark 11:11, Luke 21:37)
Did You Know?
The prophet Zechariah, who lived 500 years before Jesus walked the earth, actually wrote down the type of animal that Jesus would ride! (Zechariah 9:9)
The unveiling of God's eternal, detailed, perfect plan is beautifully displayed in Passion Week. Exodus 12 gives instructions regarding the Passover to Ancient Israel. God instructed each family to select a lamb without blemish on the 10th day of the month, anticipating the slaughter of the lamb at twilight on the 14th day. On this day, the 10th day, lambs are selected and brought to the temple. Palm Sunday was the 10th day as Jesus went to the Temple. Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, would be sacrificed on the 14th day.*
The crowds welcoming Jesus by waving palm branches and shouting "Hosanna" quoted Psalms 118:25-26 and identified Jesus as the coming Messianic King!
When Jesus wept for Jerusalem, the destruction He spoke of was not just a spiritual destruction. He described in detail the siege that would take place 40 years later when Rome would besiege Jerusalem and destroy the Temple.
*For more info, see Harold W. Hoehner, Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ