Symbols of Grace: Palm branches

Read John 12:12-19 and Matthew 21:1-11

The Triumphal Entry. Palm Sunday. This is a pretty common passage that many might skip over out of a previous knowledge of the accounts. But let’s slow down and take some time to think about what this scene looked like… what it sounded like. 

But how did we get here? Fame had spread throughout Israel these last couple of years as a prominent new Rabbi had entered the scene. He was performing miracles like none had ever seen before but was also speaking of God and the Scriptures and Law like none had interpreted. 

Jesus of Nazareth had made a name for Himself. More importantly, He had made a name for God. He had been revealing the heart and nature of the Laws like none had understood them before. He had begun healing people, performing signs and wonders that had been prophesied of the Messiah to perform and teaching about the Kingdom of God. And from this the people of God were starting to recognize their path home, back to God. 

As fame had traveled and the signs of Jesus being the Messiah were being seen, people began to become more and more excited. It became more difficult for Jesus to travel to large areas, such as Jerusalem, without being noticed. 

Let’s set the scene for a moment. It’s the week heading into Passover, the high Holy day for the Jewish people to remember God rescuing them from their oppressors, Egypt. And here comes Jesus, the one many recognized as the Messiah (or at least heard about Him). People gathered and scattered about to grab palm branches when they saw Him coming. People climb trees to cut down as many as they can. They saw Jesus and His disciples coming, who were also praising Him, and they began waving their branches as He walked through the Eastern Gate and shouting, “Hosanna (which means “save us”) to the Son of David (a name reserved for the Messiah)”.

The Eastern Gate that Jesus walked through here, coming from the Mount of Olives (that will pay a larger role later this week), is prophesied to be the gate that the Messiah would walk through proclaiming that the true King is entering His rightful place! 

What is the deal about the palm branches? We see palm branches used as a symbol of victory and waved upon the arrival of the conquering armies. They would be gathered and thrown down for the horses to walk on as their “conquering heroes” returned from a great victory. With those who believed Jesus was the Messiah, many believed that He came to overthrow Rome (who were Israel’s current oppressor). 

This scene was screaming something to that crowd!

And they missed it. They saw victory and conquest in a physical sense instead of a spiritual one. There was going to be a great battle that happened that week. There was going to be a victory over the oppressor of God’s people. It just wasn’t Rome that was the bigger issue. It was their hearts. And they missed it. 

Prayer: Jesus, don’t let us miss it this week. Help us to not forget all the ways that we were opposed by sin and death and the great victory that you brought us. Help us to pay attention.