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Palm Sunday
- kristinlemay
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 13
Flies buzzing. Piles of poop steaming on the ground. Tails flicking. The hiss of liquid hitting the hay underfoot. And in the middle of it all, a donkey.
You know: big ears. Short, stout body. Goofy grin.
To us, a donkey hardly seems like a fit ride for royalty – imagine the Queen of England on one! But for the culture where Jesus grew up, the donkey was a symbol of exactly that. All the most famous leaders and Kings of Israel – Abraham, David, Solomon – had ridden on the back of donkeys.
So when Jesus gets near to Jerusalem, his people’s most holy city, Jesus decides to show the people of Israel that he is a leader even greater than these by riding into the city gates on a donkey’s back.
In ancient Israel, like today, donkeys were hard working animals. They pulled heavy loads, they protected flocks from predators. Donkeys were a symbol of all the things Jesus taught us about himself: humble protectors, willing to suffer to serve.
Look for value in humble things.
Messiah
By the time that Jesus made his way across Galilea and Judea to Jerusalem, he had become something of a celebrity. People everywhere were talking about him – whispering about who he really was.
How did he manage those incredible healings they kept hearing about? What about feeding the crowds –could it possibly be true? Who was he?
As Jesus rides to the city gates, the crowd surges forward, trying to get close to him. They begin to undress, laying their cloaks down on the road for Jesus to ride over. They take fronds from neighboring trees and lay them down too. They pick up palm branches and wave them over their heads, shouting, “Hosannah!”
It’s an impromptu, triumphant parade – the kind that would be given to conquering heroes, returning from battle, or to kings who have brough peace. “Hosannah!” means “Please, save us!”
The crowd is celebrating because they know Jesus is the One the people of Israel have been waiting for, for generations and generations. Jesus is the One the Hebrew Scriptures have promised: the Messiah. He is the One who “comes in the name of the Lord.” What a cause for rejoicing!
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