Tue 7 May

“Why Palm Sunday”? sounds like a strange question, particularly if you ask it of someone who has been a Christian for some time. Palm Sunday is a day set aside by Christians to celebrate and remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is held on the Sunday before Easter. Yet, what does the celebration entail? Is it simply a matter of remembering Jesus riding on the donkey into Jerusalem and the crowd spread their cloaks and palm branches on the road.

There are lots of things to ponder about this triumphal ride. Would not spreading your coats and palm branches make it a little slippery or uncertain to ride a donkey in such conditions? Why were palm branches spread in the first place? What is the significance of a king riding on a donkey? We have to study scripture for that answer?

Perhaps you went to Sunday School and you were given palm fronds to wave about in church. Perhaps you wondered why you had to wave a palm branch about? Perhaps you are still wondering why you waved those palm branches.

Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is one of the few events in the life of Jesus that all four gospels record for us. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all tell that Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem. It is therefore an important event to take note of. On Palm Sunday, Jesus is openly proclaiming His kingship. Jesus is the King. Is your response to accept him as king, or to ignore?