Total Health for All with Doctor Bill

PALM SUNDAY – It’s Origin and Significance

Have you ever heard of Palm Sunday?

Do you know the significance of Palm Sunday?

Have you ever attended a Palm Sunday Service

The Origin of Palm Sunday 

Palm Sunday is one of the most important days in the Christian calendar after Christmas and Easter. It is a celebration which occurs on the Sunday before Easter and is the first day of Holy Week, the last week of the Season of Lent.

Palm Sunday apparently began to be celebrated in the early days of the Christian Church at Jerusalem around the late 4^thCentury. The services consisted of prayers, the singing of hymns and the preaching of sermons by the clergy. The faithful walked to various holy sites throughout the city. The last site was the place from which Jesus ascended, believed to be The Mont of Olives.  Here the clergy read from the Gospels, the account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.  The children would carry palm and olive branches as the Christians returned to the city, where evening services would be held.

The celebration spread to other parts of the Christian world over the next few centuries.

By the 6^th century other traditions had been adopted, including the “Blessing of the Palms” and the introduction of a morning service instead of the evening one.

In countries where it was difficult to get palms, other trees were substituted such as the Box, Yew, and Willow etc. The Day was then referred to by the appropriate name or simply “Branch Sunday”

The Palm branches are saved in many churches and burned, to provide the ash for next year’s Ash Wednesday

After adoption by the Western Christian Church in the 8^th century the celebration received the Latin name “Domenica in Palmis”, which means Palm Sunday in English

The Significance of Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday commemorates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem almost 2000 years ago to celebrate the Passover.  

This event is recorded in all the four Gospels of the New Testament 

Matthew 21:1-11     Mark 11:1-11    Luke 19:28-44    John 12:12-19

This was the fulfilment of the prophecy in the Old Testament book of Zechariah 9:9 written over 500 years before the birth of Christ

“Rejoice, O people of Zion!     

  Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!

  Look, your King is coming to you.

  He is righteous and victorious.

 Yet He is humble, riding on a donkey – riding on a donkey’s colt. “    

This was the only time recorded in the New Testament Gospels of Jesus riding an animal.

The people, by throwing down their cloaks and branches in front of Him, performed an act of homage. In times past it was a custom in the Near East to place some form of covering on the pathway in front of a person considered worthy of special honour.  I guess our modern equivalent is the Red Carpet for Heads of State.

The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory in Jewish tradition and is referred to as such in the Old Testament.

They also sang words from Psalm 118: 25-26:

“Hosanna,

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

The King of Israel “.

The word Hosanna was also significant. The word “hosanna” comes from the Hebrew word “hoshi’ana, which means “O save” or “save us”.  The Jewish people had waited for centuries for the promised “Messiah”, the One who would rescue them from oppression. They were now under occupation by the Roman Army. 

Was this Jesus the one?

The symbolism of a donkey in eastern culture was that it was an animal of peace.

Contrast this with a conquering King or General entering a city.  He would arrive riding on a horse or in a chariot with all the trappings of war. The prisoners he had captured and the booty looted would follow on behind.

Therefore Jesus showed that He was entering Jerusalem as” The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), not as a king waging war. 

The Real Meaning of Palm Sunday.

  In Luke 9:51-56 we see the real reason for Jesus going to Jerusalem.

 Jesus kept telling His Disciple that his purpose for coming to earth was to suffer and to die. 

 They headed off  to Jerusalem believing that Jesus was going to overthrow and rescue them from the Romans, restore His ancestor David’s earthly kingdom and they were going to be  important participants in that kingdom.

In verse 46 of that same chapter we find them arguing about who was going to be the greatest.

 Obviously the people had the same idea.  

They just didn’t “get it”!   

Jesus was living to a different agenda and marching to a different drum beat!

“As the time drew near for His return to heaven, He moved steadily onward to Jerusalem with an iron will. (Luke 9:51 LBT)

The entry into Jerusalem was another step in God’s plan for the Salvation of mankind.

“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13)

“For God loved the world so much, that He gave His only Son, so that anyone who believes in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it”. (John 3:16-17 TLB)

Palm Sunday , heralds the life changing events of Holy Week and Easter! Hold your breath for the unfolding drama of Redemption to come!

If this is new to you, seek out a Bible preaching church near you to discover more. Your Spiritual Health depends on it.

Doctor Bill

Holy Week is the last week of the 40 day Season of Lent observed by members of the Christian faith.

Lets have a brief  look at the events of Holy Week as they occurred during the time of Jesus.

What a week of drama this was in the life of Jesus, The Messiah!

The Events on Each Day of Holy Week

Sunday

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Resurrection Sunday.

On Palm Sunday we remember the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, of Jesus, riding on a donkey. The crowds went crazy, shouting, “Hosanna, to the Son of David, the King of Israel”.

Jesus enterring Jerusalem

They welcomed him as their long-expected Messiah, who was going to rescue them from the oppression of the occupying Roman forces.

The Disciple also believed this and argued among themselves about who would be the greatest and what positions they would each hold in the New Kingdom.

Jesus, however, wept as He entered Jerusalem (Luke 19:41), for he knew what was coming.

During His 3 years of ministry, He had constantly told His Disciples and the people to whom He preached that, His mission was to deliver the “Good News”, that God had come to earth in the form of His only Son, but that He would suffer and be killed in the process.

Jesus knew that many of those who were welcoming Him today would be part of the crowd calling for His execution by the end of the week.

However, Jesus knew something that they had failed to understand, despite Him telling them; that He would rise again, three days after His death.

Monday

The day after His arrival, He went to the Temple. There He found the money changers and bird sellers at work. In holy indignation He overturned their tables. He caused mayhem!

He quoted words from the Prophet Isaiah; “My Temple is a house of prayer”, but you have turned it into a den of thieves. (Matthew 21:13 LBT)

During His ministry, Jesus had “fallen foul” of the establishment on many occasions. He had exposed the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious leaders of His day on many occasions. This event added “fuel to the fire”.

Sharing the Easter Faith with Children: Helping Children Observe Lent and Celebrate Easter By Carolyn C. Brown / Abingdon PressThis book explores what the Easter message can mean to children as they grow up. The author helps congregations and families share the Easter message with their children and include the children meaningfully in Lent, Holy Week and Easter observances. Included are materials for children from birth (in the church nursery) to age 12. Also included are reproducible pages to create a booklet for parents.

Tuesday / Wednesday

During Holy Week Jesus continued to visit the Temple and to heal the sick and the lame

He prophesied the destruction of the Temple, which occurred during the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. It was the decisive event of the  First Jewish-Roman War. The Roman army was led by the future Emperor Titus .  The religious leaders were jealous and envious of His popularity. They became so angry, that they conspired to kill Him (Mark 14:1-2).

Enter Judas Iscariot, the traitor, “into the camp” !!

Although one of Jesus disciple, who had charge of the purse, he was a thief.  He played into the Pharisees hands by offering to betray Jesus. He was paid 30 pieces of silver.

As Passover was due in two days, time was short for them to carry out their plan. They believed that a riot would occur if they did anything with Jesus at Passover, because he was so popular with the people.

You can read about this in the New Testament Gospels:  Matthew 26:14-16, Mark 14:10-11, Luke 22:3-6

Thursday

It was Passover time. Passover is one of the most important and widely observed Jewish holidays. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, when the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nissan in the Jewish calendar, which is in spring in the Northern Hemisphere and is celebrated for seven or eight days. Passover begins at sunset on the Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday.

Blood applied to Lintel and door posts on the first Passover

Jesus instructed His disciple to find a certain man who would give them a room in which to celebrate the Passover Meal.

In the Christian Calendar  the last before Easter is also known by several names, but most commonly as, Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday. It commemorates the Last supper that Jesus ate with His Disciple. In the Catholic and Anglican denominations, it is called The Eucharist, while in other Protestant Churches; it is known as the Lord’s Supper or Communion.  I will talk more about the history and observance of this ritual in my article on Maundy Thursday.

After the Last Supper, Jesus went, with His disciples, to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, to pray. Here, He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and arrested by a mob consisting of the Chief Priests and their Temple guards and other religious leaders

Jesus was dragged into the High Priest’s residence before a hastily convened, illegal, “kangaroo court”, consisting of the High Priest, the Chief Priests and the Jewish Supreme Court. Trumped up charges were leveled against Him and lying witness wre hired, who couldn’t even agree among themselves.

He was blindfolded, mocked, spat upon and beaten.

When He said “Yes!” to their question,” Are you the Son of God?” they went berserk and tore their clothes! This to them was blasphemy; punishable by death. They did not have the power to do this, as they were under Roman occupation. So they needed Plan B

Friday & Saturday

Early the next morning they dragged Him off under armed guard to the Roman Governor, Pilate.

I will review the events of “Good Friday” in my article on the Crucifixion of Jesus-The Messiah, when I consider the dramatic finale of Holy Week

The Scriptures, the Cross & the Power of God: Reflections for Holy Week  By Tom Wright / Westminster John Knox PressFocusing on the Holy Week texts from Matthew and John, these nine sermons from New Testament theologian Wright offer a compelling look at the events of Jesus’ last week on Earth—from Palm Sunday’s surge in popular acclaim to Easter’s ultimate triumph over death—and their repercussions for all human history. 96 pages, softcover from Westminster John Knox.

Doctor Bill