The Sunday before Easter is called Palm Sunday because the crowds waved palm branches as they followed Jesus' procession into Jerusalem. Why did Jesus go to Jerusalem? It was the time of the Jewish feast of Passover. Many Jews travelled to Jerusalem to celebrate this feast together.
It holds deep religious significance for Christians around the world. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. Holy Week ends with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Palm Sunday serves as a day of reflection on Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
The Old Testament Lesson for the Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday) is written in the Book of the Twelve, the prophet Zechariah. The text is Zechariah 9:9-12 and gives us the prophecy of Jesus' triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem on what is now called the Sunday of the Passion.
What does Palm Sunday symbolize? The Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 570) tells us: Jesus' entry into Jerusalem manifests the coming of the kingdom that the Messiah-King, welcomed into his city by children and the humble of heart, is going to accomplish by the Passover of his Death and Resurrection.
Donkeys are symbols of humbleness, and by choosing one instead of a horse, Jesus showed his humility. This fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy about the coming of a righteous king on a donkey. This event also symbolizes Jesus' sacrifice for humanity.
Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian communities celebrate Palm Sunday, marking the beginning of Holy Week, the most sacred time of year for Christians.
However, as we see Jesus enter Jerusalem he is revealing his identity as Messiah. This is because he knows he has come to the end of his ministry. He makes a grand entrance into the city on a donkey to fulfil the prophesy of Zechariah, “Tell the city of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you!
Hosanna was a cry of hope from an oppressed people living under Roman rule and it means 'Oh save' or 'Save us now'. They had been waiting generations for the Messiah and he was finally here! Just a week later Jesus would save them, but not in the way they ever would have imagined.
Jesus wanted to fulfill a prophecy in the Old Testament. This prophecy was about a king riding a donkey. Riding a donkey meant that Jesus was a humble servant, not a political leader or warrior. The use of palm branches symbolized victory and peace.
On Ash Wednesday, lots of churches hold special services where worshippers are marked on the forehead with ash and which is where the day gets its name from. Typically, the ash is made from burning special crosses made out of palm wood, which were used in church services on the previous year's Palm Sunday.
Three lessons from this moment in Jesus' ministry offer us great hope: Jesus is always in control, Jesus is worthy of our praise, and Jesus is motivated by love.
When the fallacious statement that Jesus suffered on the Cross for 3 hours, from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, is replaced by a correct understanding of the timing of the Crucifixion, we discover that Jesus suffered on the Cross for 6 hours, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (John 12:13) The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, "Hosanna!
Apart from the Night Journey of Muhammad, Jerusalem holds a significant importance for Islam because of the Sacred Rock that had been part of Solomon's Temple and that was the Rock upon which Muhammad ascended to heaven.
The donkey symbolizes the Old Testament, while the never-saddled colt represents the New Testament. The donkey, the old law, gave birth to the new law, the colt. On Palm Sunday, Jesus brought both to His people. There will be those who will come, claiming to be the way to God.
Indeed, as Luke records the teachings of Jesus, he casually mentions that Jesus slept outside. “Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple” (Luke 21:37-38).
Easter is an important Christian festival - it's when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that Christ died on a cross on a day called Good Friday. According to the Bible, Jesus was then resurrected and came back to life on Easter Sunday.
“And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it...” (Luke 19:41). When Jesus entered into Jerusalem on the original Palm Sunday, his eyes were moist with tears. We often call it the Triumphal Entry, but it could just as aptly be named the Tearful Entry. Weeping wasn't an unusual experience for Jesus.
For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin (CCC 2181).
Most Christian historians believe Mary was around 15-16 years old when she gave birth to Jesus. This might seem surprising today, but it fits the customs of first-century Judea. Let's uncover the truth about Mary's age, and why this question fascinates both faith and scholarship.
AD stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for in the year of the Lord. It's a way of counting years based on the estimated birth of Jesus Christ. BC stands for Before Christ, and it's a way of counting years before the estimated birth of Jesus Christ.
