What is Palm Sunday

QUESTION: What is Palm Sunday?

ANSWER:

What is Palm Sunday? Palm Sunday celebrates one of Christianity's holiest days and begins what many churches call holy week.

It falls on the last Sunday of Lent (the Sunday before Easter) and marks the beginning of Holy Week. Palm Sunday begins a week of reverent observances which lead up to Easter Sunday. The season signifies a time for new beginnings and re-births. This renewal period begins with the coming of the “Spring Equinox” on March 21 and continues on for 40 days beyond Easter culminating on “Ascension Sunday.”

Palm Sunday is an opportunity to reflect upon the final week of Jesus' life. Jesus humbly entered Jerusalem to give His life on a cross, saving mankind from sin and death.

Matthew 21:1-11 says,

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."