Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the Easter week. Celebrating the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem, to be led to the cross on that Friday. He came into Jerusalem to fulfill the Old Testament scriptures about Himself and redeem humanity from their sins.
This story, told in all four gospels, sets the stage for all that will unfold that week. This event declares Jesus' victory before He had even died. The display angered the religious leaders and made Rome very leary of the Galilean carpenter. It is said in Zechariah...
”Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.“
Zechariah 9:9 KJV
Jesus had humbled Himself to become a man to begin with. He humbled Himself even farther to ride a donkey's colt as His victory mount into Jerusalem. Having sweaty garments to sit on and the accolades of common Jewish people to welcome Him into the city. The very same that would probably call for His death. He would have to endure horrors that we couldn't even imagine for the sins that we take for granted.
”Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.“
Philippians 2:5-11 KJV
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of an event that changed the entire course of history. It marks the day that Jesus knowingly and willingly went into the den of vipers to save our souls from hell. He did not have to fulfill the scriptures. Jesus isn't stupid; He knew that it would land Him in trouble. But He did it out of love and obedience to the Father and out of love for us. Not that we are so lovable, but that God is so merciful and good. We cannot begin to repay or even fathom the magnitude of what Christ did for us that week.
”But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.“
Isaiah 64:6 KJV
This week let us all reflect on the vileness of our sins and the grace displayed by Jesus as He went through the events of this Holy Week on our behalf.