Why We Celebrate Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday, the sixth and last Sunday in Lent, marks the start of Holy Week and remembers Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem in the final days before his death.
The account of the entry appears in all four gospels and was a momentous event for the people of that time. The prophet Zechariah described Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem in the Old Testament “Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9).
As Jesus drew near to the city he foresees and weeps over the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem (Luke 19:41) which indeed came to pass in 70AD, when the Romans razed the Jewish temple and “left not one stone standing” in punishment for the insurrection of the Jews.
The people who followed Jesus were ready to crown him as a king on that day as they shouted “Hosanna to the son of David”, a reference to the Messiah as foretold by the prophets. They believed that he had come to free them from the Romans. In fact he had come to free the whole world from the bondage of sin and lay down his life as “a ransom for many”, in a once-and-for-all offering to his father for the reparation of sin – fulfilling the old testament law and making us righteous before God and ensuring our salvation. (CCC 602)
The significance of Palm branches
In antiquity palm branches symbolised goodness and victory and are often mentioned throughout the bible – Solomon had palm branches carved on the doors of the temple and they feature again in Revelations when people from every nation raise palm branches to honour Jesus (Revelation 7:9)
- St Agnes - January 21, 2025
- 100% Matric Pass Rate for Century-Strong Sacred Heart College - January 21, 2025
- Outstanding Results for De La Salle Holy Cross College - January 15, 2025
