Palm Sunday, The Coming King, and the Last Week of Christ
Palm Sunday begins what is often referred to as “Holy Week. Stephen March explains how Jesus was seen as the “Coming King” or “Messiah.”
Palm Sunday
As we approach the Easter season, it is a good idea to take some time to look at the events surrounding the holiday and what it is we are celebrating, or perhaps better yet, who it is that we are celebrating. Usually, when we think of Easter from the Christian perspective, we think of the resurrection of Christ, and of course with that, his crucifixion a few days earlier.
For this series, we’re going to begin a week before that, on what is sometimes referred to as “Palm Sunday”. In fact, in a way we’re going to go back even further to around 518 BC, when the Jews having returned to Jerusalem from their exile n Babylon were rebuilding the temple. In those days the prophet Zechariah spoke these words:
“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.”
A Prophecy About the Messiah
This prophesy was readily received as referring to the Messiah, the chosen one who would save Israel for good. From there we move forward almost 550 years, and we have the man Jesus, who by this time had been walking throughout Judea and performing all kinds of signs and wonders. He called himself the Son of Man, a direct reference to the Messiah from the book of Daniel, He announced that he had the power and authority to forgive sins, something only God could do. His followers by now, have recognized and proclaimed him to be “the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Some Sought to Eliminate Jesus
Yet even with all of this, and because of all this, there were those in Jesus’s day that sought to eliminate him, they called him a blasphemer, saying he was wrong to make himself equal with God. The big problem they were having is that they were unable to refute anything he said, they had no real answer for the miracles he performed, and with every healing, every evil spirit cast out, every teaching and sermon he gave, Jesus’ righteousness was revealed, and the unrighteousness of the religious leader of the day was exposed. In their eyes, something had to be done.
It was with this knowledge that Jesus’ disciples didn’t want him to go to Jerusalem, they knew the Jews there were seeking to kill him, but Jesus, perhaps more determined than ever, set out for the holy city as the Passover was approaching.
A Palm Sunday Mission
Before entering the city on the first day of the week, he sent two of his disciples ahead on a special mission. They were to go into a small village outside of Jerusalem, and there they would find a donkey and her colt tied. They were to bring the animals to Jesus. He told them that if anyone were to ask why they were taking them, they were to simply respond “The Lord needs them” and the people would let them go. The Bible tells us that the disciples found everything exactly as Jesus had said.
The brought the animals to Jesus, put their cloaks on the colt, and Jesus sat on it and rode into the city of Jerusalem from the east, from the Mount of Olives. As he arrived, the people of city lined the streets, welcoming Jesus as a king, shouting ‘Hosanna” which means “save now.” They also cried out ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel.” Everything was lining up exactly as Zechariah had said it would nearly 550 years before, yet most of the people failed to recognize it at the time. John tells us that it wasn’t until after Jesus had been glorified in his death and resurrection that they remembered all these things that had been written about the Messiah.
The Pharisees Were Angered
The Pharisees, however, seemed to grasp the significance of it, they told Jesus to rebuke his disciples for saying these things, but Jesus answered them saying “Even if the people were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
Jesus was declaring to the religious leaders exactly who he was. He was the Righteous Saviour, he was the coming King, the Saviour of the World, the creator of the world, and His time to make himself known, and fulfil the will of His Father in heaven had finally arrived.
The Pharisees reaction to all this was subdued, they recognized that they were getting nowhere, and all the people, the whole world as they said it, had started following Jesus. Yet even now, their desire was to destroy him, and they sought ways that they could put him to death.
Three Groups of People on Palm Sunday
We see three groups of people in the crowds as Jesus entered the city. There were those who had seen the things Jesus was doing and believed that he truly was the Son of the God who had come into the world to save them. They were still unsure what that salvation would look like, and how it would take place. But they still recognized Jesus for who he was and praised him.
Then there were the Pharisees, Sadducees and other religious leaders who rejected his claims. They never could discredit Jesus or disprove the things he said about them. They ignored the prophesies he fulfilled, disregarded the miracles he performed, and refused to heed his warnings and repent when his teachings showed them how their ways and traditions were stopping them from truly knowing ad understanding God.
Finally, there was a third group, those who weren’t clear who Jesus was. Matthew tells us about them as the whole city was stirred up, they wondered “Who is this man?” Whatever their reason for being unsure, they were interested in finding out. Perhaps they were torn between the things Jesus did and said about himself, and with what the religious leaders were saying about him. Remembering that they were a people being oppressed by their Roman occupiers, perhaps they were waiting to see if this “Jesus of Nazareth” would rise up against Rome.
The Groups Still Exist
The amazing things is that 2,000 years later, all three groups still exist. Those that accept who Jesus is and worship him as the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Saviour of the world. They live with the hope of eternal life in heaven as promised by God for all who believe in Jesus. There are those today who reject everything the bible says about Jesus, some calling him just an ordinary man, others even claiming he is nothing more than a fictional story.
In many cases it comes with the knowledge that accepting Jesus for who He is would be to admit that their own way of living, their own attitudes and actions need correction. Even though the Bible says that is the case, and that God already knows that and is ready to forgive them and restore them to Himself, their pride and sense of self keeps them from being able to believe in Jesus.
Finally, there are those who are unsure, but they are willing to investigate, to seek out the truth and try to understand who Jesus really is, and if they can accept that and believe in Him.
Which group are you in? The Bible says that only those who believe in Jesus and turn from their own way to follow his can be saved from the penalty of sin, which is eternal separation from God in a place called hell. But for everyone who does believe, God promises forgiveness of sin, and eternal life in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who do you think Jesus is? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Stephen March
Stephen March is the President of FBH International and HopeStreamRadio. He graduated from the Broadcasting Program at Niagara College in 2001, and has previously worked in television production and post-production.
Stephen lives in St. Catharines, Ontario, with his wife Corinne and their four children.
Read and hear more from Stephen March on his contributor’s page. Stephen currently has 5 Programs on HopeStreamRadio:
- Please Forgive Me
- Isolation Chronicles
- Faith By Hearing – The Twelve
- Bibles and Baseball
- Bible Tech Talk
More Podcasts Below:
More Blogs
Why Did Jesus Say “I Am the Bread of Life
Images courtesy of:
Palm Branches – GiniGeo_Photography
Donkey – JACLOU-DL
Worship – Shahrokh
Munguriek clement says
In reality Jesus was the son of God sent to save people from the sins and direct to the rightious.he went back clean the seats to the rightious peopleIn reality Jesus was the son of God sent to save people from the sins and direct to the rightious.he went back clean the seats to the rightious people.
Ray Marshall says
Hi Munguriek. Yes! We agree that Jesus was the Son of God who was sent to save us from our sins and make us righteous. May you be richly blessed as you serve Him!