Sunday, April 13, 2025

Palm Sunday, also called Passion Sunday, is the last Sunday of Lent and the Sunday before Easter. The date for Palm Sunday changes from year to year depending on the date of Easter, which is determined based on the lunar calendar. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week and commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday was the beginning of the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth.

John 12:12-15
¹²The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors ¹³took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Hail to the King of Israel!”
¹⁴ Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:

¹⁵ “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.”

Each year, hundreds of thousands of Jews made their way to Jerusalem for the celebration of the feast of Passover. Just prior to the feast, Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead and the news had gone viral. The Jews were looking for the promised Messiah and wondered if Jesus might be the one.

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, he was greeted by a large crowd waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna!”—an expression of adoration. Jesus, like the palm branches, had become a symbol of victory and triumph. He rode into the city on a donkey in fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy, which was spoken approximately 500 years before Jesus’ unforgettable ride into Jerusalem.

Zechariah 9:9
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 is one of the most widely quoted prophecies about Jesus in the Bible. In biblical times, leaders rode horses to war, but they rode donkeys when they came in peace because donkeys symbolized peace and humility.

Today, Palm Sunday is celebrated all around the world by hundreds of millions of people in remembrance of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Jesus is at the heart of Palm Sunday as we remember the agony of his passion and the joy of his resurrection. To Christ-followers, it is a reminder of asking Jesus into our hearts and our willingness to follow him.

This article was written by Jenn Macke, a Findlay attendee, and a regular contributor to the Daily LivingItOut.