Before celebrating the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Day, it is important to remember the events that happened before it. While Good Friday marks the day of Jesus' crucifixion, Palm Sunday marks the triumphant arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem. Let's talk more about this event today.
When is Palm Sunday?
This 2018, Palm Sunday falls on March 25, the last Sunday before Easter Sunday (to be held April 1). This day marks the start of the Holy Week, a very significant event in every Christian's life.
What is the meaning of Palm Sunday for Christians?
As mentioned earlier, Palm Sunday was the day Jesus entered Jerusalem successfully. There are three important elements in this story: the colt, the people, and the palm branches.
So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road... - Matthew 21:7-8
Before Jesus entered Jerusalem, He asked his two disciples to look for an unbroken colt. This means that colt was never ridden before, and it also meant that the mother donkey would ride along with them. Although a nearly impossible feat, the two disciples miraculously found one and immediately brought it to Jesus. Back then, riding a colt into a city showed that a person comes in peace.
When the people saw Jesus riding on the donkey, they knew He was the prophesized Messiah. The people cheered and shouted "Hosanna," because they knew the Messiah has come to save them all. Jesus felt happy with the welcome, however, only He knew that he was going to be betrayed and killed soon.
To celebrate the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem, the crowd prepared palm branches. In Biblical times, the palm branches symbolized peace and victory. The crowd threw the palm branches at the feet of Jesus, acknowledging that their hero had arrived. In modern-day Christianity, palm branches are also very visible in Palm Sunday Mass. Often, the palm owners ask the branches to be blessed with holy water, and they bring them home with them.
By Ash Wednesday, the palms are burnt. The ashes of the palms are used to mark a cross on heads of Christians. In places where palm trees are no longer growing, Christians use olive or flower branches.
