Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday

1 week before Easter

"By raising Lazarus from the dead before your passion you confirmed the universal resurrection, O Christ God! Like the children with the palms of victory, we cry out to you, O vanquisher of death: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord!"

 Palm Sunday, along with Lazarus Saturday, are the opening days of Holy Week. We celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entrance into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. Many people were there to greet Him, because they thought He would free them from the Roman Army. Instead He freed them – and us – from sin and death. They also wanted to see Lazarus, who Jesus had just risen from the dead. The people were so excited about the news of Jesus’ miracles. When they saw Him, they put down their coats to line his passage way; waved their palms; and called out to him saying "Hossanah! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" (John 12:13)

    We also have to remember that this is Jesus’ last week on earth. There were people plotting and planning to kill Him. The Pharisees or priests were afraid everyone in Jerusalem would recognize Him as God’s promised Saviour. The priests were afraid that when the Romans heard about Jesus, their soldiers would wreck all the temples and the priests would lose all their power. They justified their plotting to kill Jesus by saying it was better for one man to die instead of an entire nation.

    Today we hold branches and palms as a sign of Christ’s victory over death. Palm Sunday is the beginning of our journey to Easter or Pascha.

Read the story of Palm Sunday in Matthew 11: 1-11