The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”
Two centuries earlier, Simon and Judas Maccabaeus drove out enemy forces from Israel. The people celebrated this occasion with music and waving palm branches (1 Maccabees 13:51 [Jewish writings which record history of how Jews revolted against the Seleucid Empire]). Thus, palm branches were a symbol of victory over enemies.
Matthew also records in Matt 21:7-11,
They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Why did the crowd rejoice? Reason: the long-awaited Messiah or Saviour has come to deliver them from Roman oppression (starting 63 BC when Roman general Pompey captured Jerusalem). But how should we remember Palm Sunday? For what reason should we rejoice and praise God, which Jesus also rightly says we should, “Have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?’”
Remember Palm Sunday for the right reasons so that we can properly remember Good Friday and Easter. Observe what Jesus did on Palm Sunday. First, he entered the temple in Jerusalem and cleansed and “drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changes and the tables of those selling doves” (Matt 21:12). Reason? “My house [God’s temple] will be called a house of prayer” (Matt 21:13). The meaning of this verse found in Isaiah 56:7 basically means God’s house was supposed to be a place where the world including non-Jews found salvation. Thus, as we remember Good Friday, we must be reminded that God greatest desire is to save souls into God’s kingdom. This was the very reason why Jesus died on Good Friday. If you want to remember Good Friday, do this: share the gospel with someone during the holy week. You can also do so by inviting non-Christians to attend the gospel meetings on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Give your friends and relatives Jesus. Give them Christian gospel tracts. Give them eternal life. Second, “the blind and the lame came to him at the temple and he healed them” (Matt 21:14). Do kind deeds to needy people, including your friends and even people who dislike you (your enemies!). Above all, give them what they need most—Jesus and eternal life. Third, as the crowd rightly did, they praised God. Jesus died. But Jesus also rose from the dead. Thus, Palm Sunday and the holy week are times we rejoice and praise God. Whatever our troubles we have in life, fear not. Jesus is king, that is, He is in full control of our lives and even sufferings in life. He will order events in life for our eternal good (Romans 8:28). For that, Palm Sunday is a day of true rejoicing. Rejoice, O child of God!