Palm Sunday Series

Scripture reading: Matthew 21:1-11

Today is Palm Sunday.

It is a Sunday that falls before Easter.

We are commemorating the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.

During that time, palm branches were placed in his path before his arrest on Holy Thursday and his crucifixion on Good Friday.

This event thus marked the beginning of the Holy Week, the final week of Lent according to our Christian calendar.

And this is the time also to set aside some time of soul searching as we pray and fast drawing near to God.

Palm Sunday is recorded in the four Gospels. (Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19).

In many Christian denominations, worship services on Palm Sunday include a procession of the faithful carrying palms which represent the palm branches that the crowd scattered in front of Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem that day.

In ancient Christianity, palm branches symbolized goodness and victory.

The Goodness of our Lord in spite of our sins and the victory that he gave us over sin and death through His sacrifice at the cross.

These palm branches were often depicted on coins and important buildings.

Solomon had palm branches carved into the walls and the doors of his magnificent temple as a symbol of beauty and elegance.

1 Kings 6:29 "On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers."

At the last book of the Bible, we read that people from every nation raise palm branches to honor Jesus.

Revelation 7:9 "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands."

That is what we will be doing in heaven.

We will be wearing white robes and waving palm branches before the Lamb.

People from every tribe and language.

It was a sign of their unity in never ending praises to the Lamb for his great love towards us.

It is always a Palm Sunday in heaven.

In the Roman Catholic Church, Palm Sunday is commemorated by a solemn procession of the clergy, the acolytes, the parish choir and then followed by the entire congregation.

The Mass is focused on the blessings of the palms by the priests which are saved in many churches to be burned and used in Ash Wednesday services the following year.

The Catholic Church considers the blessed palms to be a sacred sacraments.

The clothes for the day are deep scarlet red, the color of blood, indicating the supreme redemptive sacrifice of Christ at the cross.

As Christ entered the City of Jerusalem, it was to fulfill the Passion and the Resurrection for our forgiveness and redemption.

In many Protestant churches, children are given palms, and then walk in procession around the vicinity of the church while the adults watch and remain seated.

Palm Sunday is a joyous occasion in the Philippines.

Communities re-enact Jesus' triumphant entry with a procession.

There is a procession of a statue of Christ seated on a donkey (the Humenta) with the officiating priest on horseback around or towards the local church, as the faithful believers wave palm branches or "palaspas".

In some towns, elderly women spread heirloom "tapis" or aprons made for this special purpose or large cloths along the route, ideally to be treated upon by the statue or the priest.

Children dressed as angels sometimes sing Hosannah while throwing flowers all around as they passed by.

Once the palm branches were blessed by the priest, they are brought home by the believers and placed on their altars, or hung beside or above the doorways and windows of their homes.

I took some information above from Wikipedia.

The significance of Palm Sunday particularly the waving of the palm branches must never be forgotten.

It is to remember the triumphant entry of Christ the King in Jerusalem.

It was a significant event, not only to the people of Jesus' day, but to Christians throughout history.

We celebrate Palm Sunday to remember that momentous occasion.

On that day, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a borrowed donkey's colt, one that had not been ridden before.

The disciples spread their cloaks on the donkey for Jesus to sit, and the multitudes came out to welcome Him, laying before Him their cloaks and the branches of palm trees.

The people hailed and praised Him as the "King who comes in the name of the Lord!" as He rode to the temple, where he taught the people, healed them and drove out the money-changers and merchants who had made His Father's house a "den of robbers" (Mark 11:17).