Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter that begins the Holy Week. It commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem as the crowds welcomed Him by waving palm branches and covering His path with palm branches. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Passion Week, the final week of Lent that includes the days leading up to and including the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
The Bible records Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem in all four Gospels – Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19. As Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey, the crowds welcomed Him by laying down their cloaks and palm branches on the road before Him while shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
The significance of Jesus riding a donkey into Jerusalem is that it is a fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 which says “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The donkey was a sign of peace, so Jesus riding a donkey symbolized His humble and gentle nature as the Prince of Peace, in contrast to entering on a warhorse as a conquering king.
The laying down of cloaks and palm branches was an act of homage and submission to Jesus. The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory in Jewish tradition. During the timing of this event around the Passover, pilgrims would gather palm branches for the accompanying festivities. The crowds used the branches as a way to welcome someone of importance and honor.
The crowds were shouting “Hosanna” which means “save now.” By doing this, they were recognizing Jesus as their Messiah and King who had come to save them. “Hosanna to the Son of David” referred to Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah prophesied to be a descendant of King David. The phrase “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” is taken from Psalm 118:26 which was used in prayer when pilgrims approached the Temple. So this Messianic praise was directed at Jesus as He approached Jerusalem and the crowds welcomed Him as their savior.
However, only a week later, the crowds would shout “Crucify him!” as Jesus stood trial before Pilate. This contrast displayed the fickle and unfaithful nature of humans even amidst the unwavering faithfulness of God to fulfill His divine plan through Jesus. Jesus knew what was coming in the days ahead but still chose to enter Jerusalem to complete the mission of His first coming – to suffer and die as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of humanity.
Though Jesus received honor and praise from the crowds on Palm Sunday, it was only in a temporal sense for what they hoped Jesus might do as their physical King and Messiah. However, Jesus had come for a much different purpose – to provide the path to eternal salvation, not just a temporal crown. Palm Sunday marked the beginning of Holy Week when Jesus would soon face betrayal, rejection, abandonment, and crucifixion before conquering sin and death forevermore through His resurrection.
The significance of Palm Sunday for believers today is multilayered. It marks the beginning of the final week of Lent as a time of prayer, repentance, and reflection on the events leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The contrast between the crowds on Palm Sunday compared to only a week later highlights the sobering truth that believers must place their unwavering hope and trust in God even when circumstances and public opinion shifts. Palm Sunday reminds believers that while Jesus did not come to earth for political or national redemption, He did come to provide men and women across all centuries the offer of eternal salvation through faith in Him. Lastly, as believers celebrate Palm Sunday, they spiritually join the crowds welcoming Jesus into their lives anew each day as Lord, King, and Savior over all eternity.
In most modern church services, Palm Sunday is celebrated through scripture readings, hymns, and choral music focused on the triumphal entry. Congregants may hold palm branches, crosses, or other decorations to commemorate the day. Some churches process around their places of worship waving real palm fronds just as the Jerusalem crowds did when Jesus entered the city. Often children lead this procession into the sanctuary at the start of service. Some churches even pass out palm leaves to attendees to participate in the celebration. Other common decorations are crosses, woven palm fronds, and dyed olive branches.
A few examples of hymns commonly associated with Palm Sunday worship include:
“All Glory, Laud, and Honor” – This traditional Palm Sunday hymn is based on a Latin poem “Gloria, laus et honor” written by Theodulph of Orleans in 820 AD. The lyrics reflect the words shouted by the crowds welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem.
“Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” – This hymn was written by Jennette Threlfall in 1873 with a chorus reflecting the shouts of “Hosanna” from the Palm Sunday crowds.
“Ride On, Ride On in Majesty” – Written by Henry Hart Milman in 1827, this hymn focuses on the regal yet humble nature of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey.
“Tell Me the Stories of Jesus” – William H. Parker wrote this hymn in 1894 which contains a Palm Sunday-focused verse: “Tell of the triumphal entry when palm branches strewed the way, eager throngs His praise expressing, children singing day by day.”
In addition to special hymns and songs, most church services read one or more Gospel accounts of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem: Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, John 12:12-19. Some liturgies also include Old Testament passages that prophesy the Messiah, such as Zechariah 9:9-12. The Passion narrative may be read as well, covering the events leading up to the crucifixion after the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday.
Historically speaking, the celebration of Palm Sunday dates back to at least the fourth century in Jerusalem. Eyewitness accounts describe how people would gather around the Mount of Olives to relive Jesus’ entry by waving palm branches. From there, the annual tradition spread across the Christian world. In England by the 10th century, Palm Sunday was accompanied by a long procession of clergy and townspeople carrying palms and crosses. Over time, various Christian denominations developed their own traditions related to Palm Sunday observance. Customs emerged such as burning the old palms from the previous Palm Sunday to make ashes for the next Ash Wednesday. However, the biblical significance and scriptural foundation for Palm Sunday has remained central across all traditions.
The events that Holy Week celebrates – Jesus’ triumphal entry, Last Supper, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection – stand at the very heart of Christian theology. Palm Sunday initiates this week by reminding believers that while Jesus could have arrived in Jerusalem on a warhorse as a powerful and victorious king, He deliberately chose to ride humbly on a donkey representing gentleness and peace. As the apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2:5-8:
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (ESV)
This posture of servanthood established on Palm Sunday would shape the entire Holy Week to come when Jesus would complete the most humble, sacrificial, and powerful act in human history – dying on a Roman cross at the hands of those He came to save, and rising again to conquer death forevermore.