By: Elder Tim White
As I write this, Palm Sunday is coming up. What exactly is Palm Sunday? Let us look into the meaning and significance of this glorious event.
The setting is five days before Passover. Passover is the celebration of the children of Israel being liberated the bondage of slavery in Egypt. Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples in Jerusalem; this was what we have come to refer to as the last supper or the Lord’s Supper. Jesus had been in Bethany, where he has just raised Lazarus from the dead, and was going to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.
In the book of John 12:12-13 we read. “On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord”. This is the biblical reference to the palm branches. Though the story is recorded in the book of Matthew and Mark, John is the only one to identify the branches as palm branches. Palm branches were a symbol of victory, triumph, and peace. Palm branches were awarded to victorious athletes in ancient Greece. It was very fitting that the people would wave and lay down palm branches in honor of Jesus. He was the Price of Peace, and He would soon be victorious over death, hell, and the grave.
This passage also tells us that the people “cried Hosanna” when Jesus passed by. The word “Hosanna” simply means, “to save”. A further study of the word and passage reveals that the people were citing Psalm 118:25-26, “Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD”. It seems to me that the people crying “Hosanna” on that day understood who Jesus was and what His purpose was. Matthew 1:21 says, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”. Jesus came to earth, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified, rose from the dead, and ascended to Heaven, all for one reason – to “save sinners”. Paul said in I Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” This would be a wonderful time for you to cry “Hosanna” – “Lord save me”.
