Palm Sunday – Its Significance to the Child of God

Palm Sunday comes off every Sunday before Easter Sunday in the Christian calendar. I wasn’t there when the believers in the early church instituted this day around the 9th Century. However, if it has tarried to date, then it must be significant in God’s calendar for all believers to celebrate it. You may ask, but why do I say that? 1 John 2:17 (NKJV) says,

“… the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

If Palm Sunday were worldly, it would have been a thing of the past. But it’s not so. Thanks be to God. So, now you know it’s God’s will to celebrate this day, what is its significance to the child of God? Let’s look at it.

An abandoned colt is needed to fulfil prophecy

The whole story of the triumphant entry of Christ, through which the Palm Sunday celebration was derived, is one of the lifetime events of Jesus captured in all the four gospel books (see Matt. 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; John 12:12–19, Luke 19:28-40).

Before Jesus entered Jerusalem, He sent some disciples to a village nearby to untie and bring an abandoned colt for Him to sit on. That colt was needed to fulfil a prophecy about Jesus written in Zechariah 9:9, as referenced in Matthew 21:5. Even though the disciples did what Jesus said, they encountered some challenges on the journey. The owners of the colt asked why they were untying the animal. And they said, “The Lord has need of him” (see Luke 19:34). Now, that happened to signify two things.

1. Just because God has sent you to do something for Him doesn’t mean you’ll not encounter challenges.
2. There are some things and people God needs to fulfil prophecy, but lie abandoned and are usually guarded by people who don’t want those people or things to be utilised for their purposes. For such guards, be careful of how you speak to them because they are gates to unlocking great potential in those abandoned people or things.

After the disciples brought the colt, they threw their clothes and set Jesus on it as they moved towards Jerusalem. As Jesus went, many people spread their clothes on the ground for Him to walk on. In Matthew’s account, it added that others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road (see Matthew 21:8). Although it isn’t specifically written in the New Testament that the people used “palm trees,” there is a reference in the Old Testament that confirms that the Israelites could have used palm tree branches (see Leviticus 23:40). I believe so because they revered the law so much. So, I presume this is why some believers bring young palm tree branches to church every Palm Sunday, which is not bad.

Remembrance that Jesus is King

So, after all the beautiful procession where people hailed Jesus’ name, saying,

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!” – Matthew 21:9 (NKJV)

You may ask, why that? It’s that simple—for Jesus to announce to them that the King of the universe is here. Jesus’ reception into Jerusalem stirred up the whole city to the point that those who didn’t know Him asked, “Who is this?” (see Matthew 21:10). Even though the Israelites didn’t really see the prophetic meaning of that event, today, you know it. So, as a believer, you should always remember that Jesus is the King of your heart. And for that reason, never be ashamed of the gospel. Celebrate Palm Sunday each year by proclaiming the name of Jesus in grant style. Jesus is coming soon.