John 12:13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
In ancient Israel, palms symbolized victory, prosperity, righteousness, and peace. The practice of using palm branches was deeply embedded in both daily life and religious tradition. As one of the seven species of the Promised Land, they represented God’s blessing, while their branches were used for festive booths (Sukkoth), they symbolized national freedom, and were famously used to honor Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
For the Jews living under the repressive regime of Rome, Jesus represented the hope of freedom. The groundswell of support was the hope that a conquering Messiah would lead the battle to overthrow the world power of their day.
Five hundred years earlier the prophet Zechariah spoke of that day…
Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Jesus fulfilled the prophecy as spoken by Zechariah, as He road into Jerusalem the people rejoiced, shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
For the jews, they thought victory was near. The long oppression of an unconquerable foe had finally met their match. The people were sure that God had sent the One who was foretold. But as the excitement stirred the city, questions arose from others and we gain insight into who the people truly believed Jesus was…
Matthew 21:10-11 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Just a prophet?
When looking back in history, prophets didn’t lead armies or serve as generals in battle, (with Moses being an exception), but rather they spoke as God directed them. Many times the word was bad news, not good. If the people had read their history, they would have seen the words of Zechariah in a different light.
2 Chronicles 14:20 Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.’”
The people of Israel had been conquered several times before and for very good reasons, they had adopted the false god’s of other nations, they had stopped honoring the Lord and His commands, and they defiled God’s name by abandoning specific practices of jubilee years and keeping the law holy. Israel was under oppression for their sin, and it was God who allowed it. It was the Lord who raised up Rome to conquer the land, it was the Lord who brought judgment upon His people even though it was through a pagan civilization.
The Lord has always been in control, He certainly didn’t need to raise up a “prophet” to overthrow a government that He brought forth.
Sad Reality
When Jesus came into the city we gain a glimpse of what God was thinking.
Luke 19:41-44 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
The people missed the mark once again. Jesus was no common prophet, He was and is God incarnate. The Messiah had come to bring life, but more than just freedom from oppression, life eternal.
How many people have missed Jesus?
Even today, millions of muslims believe Jesus to only be a prophet. They will heap all kinds of honor upon Him, but recognizing Him as God in the flesh blasphemes their false god. As Jesus wept over Jerusalem, how He weeps over the delusion of false religion today.
What was thought to be triumph, turned into tragedy. Not long after the procession the people found Jesus driving out the tax collectors and causing havoc in the Temple grounds. The holy wrath of God was made evident to them once again, the delusion that God supported their wickedness was for lack of knowledge.
Great Peace
Palm Sunday is a time to rejoice. The triumphant King has come but it was to conquer sin and death…not an army. For those who have given their lives into His hands, it is a time of rejoicing. Freedom was bought at the cross, the blood of the Savior was spilled that His people might not be condemned. The earth recoiled at the site, the earth went dark, and the ground rumbled from the power that was displayed.
Many people missed the magnitude of the event, but there was a remnant who stood in awe of all that God was doing.
Luke 19:39-40 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
The people of God are to be heralds of God’s great work. The expectation that God has for His people is to be salt and light in a world that is confused, lost, and afraid.
There is still a great delusion. The enemy continues to weave deception among the nations and unless Truth is shouted forth, how will they know?
Does the light of Christ dwell in you? You are not meant to keep it. Share the hope that you have found so that others may know. Fear not. The King of glory has conquered sin and death and one day He will ride victorious on a white horse to establish His reign forever.
Within the Lord’s camp is eternal triumph.
U.T. 