Palm Sunday is the traditional time to recall Jesus’ Triumphal Entry. The Bible says, “The great crowd that had come for the Feast 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!’” (John 12:12, 13).

Palm trees swaying in the wind bring to mind relaxation and warm tropical climates; but in biblical times, palms also served a practical function, producing edible fruit and fibers for making ropes. After the people of Israel left Egypt during the exodus, the Lord led them through the desert to a beautiful spot that sounds like an ancient version of Palm Springs: “where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water” (Exodus 15:27).

Jericho was known as the City of Palms (Deuteronomy 34:3; Judges 1:16). During Solomon’s reign, images of palm trees were carved into the decorative walls of the temple (1 Kings 6:29-35, 7:36; 2 Chronicles 3:5). Historians tell us that the palm tree was a common picture on ancient Jewish coinage. According to the book of Psalms, “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree . . . . They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green” (Psalm 92:12, 14).

The Jewish people associated palm branches with celebration and worship. During the Feast of Tabernacles they took palm branches and rejoiced before God (Leviticus 23:40; Nehemiah 8:15). A section of the Psalms filled with messianic meaning exhorts worshipers, “With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession” (Psalm 118:27). Just as modern crowds might throw confetti or celebrate with a ticker-tape parade, happy throngs in ancient times would spread flowers, tree branches, and garments in a conqueror’s path as a gesture of honor and respect. In John’s vision of Heaven, he saw a white-robed multitude standing before God’s throne “holding palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9).

Yet on the day we call Palm Sunday Jesus came riding, not on a conqueror’s stallion, but on a borrowed donkey, a symbol of humility and peace. How many people in the crowd recognized that he was fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9? “See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” We call it the Triumphal Entry, but for Jesus it was a tearful one, for the Bible says, “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it” (Luke 19:41).

How many in the crowd who cheered Jesus on Palm Sunday really understood what he had come to do? How many of them lifted up a different chant a few days later and joined the cry to crucify him? How many of them wanted a political king to liberate them from Rome, but not a suffering servant to die for their sins?

The adoring crowd held palm branches in their hands that day, but Jesus’ hands soon felt the excruciating pain of the nails. The path strewn with palm branches led him to the passion of the cross. It leads us there too. In the kingdom of God, the victory celebration winds its way past the cheering crowds and past the misery of Golgotha to the quiet but lasting joy of the empty tomb. |L

OTHER COLUMNS:
November 15, 2009 - How do we see the cities?
November 8, 2009 - Mind your posture
October 25, 2009 - Why they go
October 18, 2009 - Shifting gears
October 11, 2009 - Preparing for D Day
October 4, 2009 - What about when the giants win?
September 27, 2009 - Little losses
September 20, 2009 - Who will attend your funeral?
September 13, 2009 - Loving our ‘children’s children’
September 6, 2009 - John the job coach
August 30, 2009 - An open letter to a closed heart
August 23, 2009 - Trying to be tall
August 16, 2009 - Are you serious?
August 9, 2009 - The benefits (and limits) of education
August 2, 2009 - Behind the snail bus
July 26, 2009 - The official scorer
July 19, 2009 - Pleasant dreams
July 12, 2009 - Watchmen on the wall
July 5, 2009 - Standing at the crossroads
June 28, 2009 - Come on down
June 21, 2009 - A godly father
June 14, 2009 - Greater things
June 7, 2009 - How can I count the ways?
May 31, 2009 - Avoiding Chapter 11
May 24, 2009 - Some things I remember
May 17, 2009 - In bad shape
May 10, 2009 - What did your mother teach you?
May 3, 2009 - Buy in
April 26, 2009 - Seven years to build it
April 19, 2009 - The flock on your block
April 12, 2009 - Untold stories
March 29, 2009 - Jesus’ small group
March 22, 2009 - One very fine meal
March 15, 2009 - How big is big enough?
March 8, 2009 - Stewing over stewardship
March 1, 2009 - Removing trust rust
February 22, 2009 - Part of God’s answer
February 15, 2009 - Putting the coin in the koinonia
February 8, 2009 - I still do
February 1, 2009 - Forward progress
January 25, 2009 - His name is . . . controversial?
January 18, 2009 - Matt
January 11, 2009 - The other 90 percent
January 4, 2009 - Growing by leaps and boundaries
December 28, 2008 - Too late for the late Mr. Lazarus?
December 21, 2008 - Christmas bows
December 14, 2008 - Good gifts for tough times
December 7, 2008 - Synoptic parents
November 30, 2008 - Fully engaged
November 23, 2008 - Abundant praise
November 16, 2008 - The cool of the day
November 9, 2008 - Faith, not fear
November 2, 2008 - Going through Samaria
October 26, 2008 - Redefining success
October 19, 2008 - The heresy of hearsay
October 12, 2008 - Here am I
October 5, 2008 - Present—and accounted for
September 28, 2008 - The beauty of baptism
September 21, 2008 - Theme songs
September 14, 2008 - Stress these things
September 7, 2008 - The older I get
August 31, 2008 - Are you ubiquitous?
August 24, 2008 - The Bible in pictures
August 17, 2008 - Watch pocket syndrome
August 10, 2008 - Seriously, we need to laugh
August 3, 2008 - Real parents
July 27, 2008 - Holes in our pockets
July 20, 2008 - Crushed
July 13, 2008 - Unloved
July 6, 2008 - Blackberry cobbler
June 29, 2008 - The strength you have
June 22, 2008 - How long does a sermon need to be?
June 8, 2008 - Someone else’s mess
June 1, 2008 - Afterward
May 25, 2008 - Diving for pearls
May 18, 2008 - There’d better be a Heaven
May 11, 2008 - Moses’ mom
May 4, 2008 - Every Christian’s job description
April 27, 2008 - Face to face
April 20, 2008 - Jesus slept
April 13, 2008 - A teacher’s helping hands
April 6, 2008 - Freeze the sleaze
March 30, 2008 - Resisting the libel of the label
March 23, 2008 - Famous last words
March 16, 2008 - The humbling, convincing truth of biblical prophecy
March 9, 2008 - Longevity—an overlooked leadership principle
March 2, 2008 - Timeless methods of money management
February 24, 2008 - Thanks, Russ—see you soon
February 17, 2008 - A friend of the world, or a friend of God?
February 10, 2008 - Life-changing words
February 3, 2008 - Can’t miss
January 27, 2008 - Approval ratings
January 20, 2008 - Beyond conception
January 13, 2008 - Not too safe
January 6, 2008 - Amenities
December 30, 2007 - Climate change
December 23, 2007 - Big dreams in a little town
December 16, 2007 - Rest in peace
December 5, 2007 - God’s hand of mercy
December 2, 2007 - Holy humor
November 25, 2007 - So your family isn’t perfect?
November 18, 2007 - Were the whole realm of nature mine
November 11, 2007 - He knows
November 4, 2007 - Plan C
October 28, 2007 - Overcoming evil with good
October 21, 2007 - The eye of the beholder
October 14, 2007 - Airport lessons
October 7, 2007 - Wisdom on the go
September 30, 2007 - Those other songwriters
September 23, 2007 - Gathering the lame
September 16, 2007 - God, me, the world
September 9, 2007 - Look again
September 2, 2007 - Complete the work
August 26, 2007 - Annoyance, weapon, or gift?
August 19, 2007 - The fourth ‘R’
August 5, 2007 - Beyond our reach?
August 5, 2007 - Bend a bow of bronze
July 29, 2007 - You count
July 22, 2007 - Searching for buried treasure
July 15, 2007 - Free delivery
July 8, 2007 - The starting point
July 1, 2007 - Spend yourself
June 24, 2007 - Circuit-riding members
June 17, 2007 - Life sentences
June 10, 2007 - Good housekeepers
June 3, 2007 - Back rowing
May 27, 2007 - The singing voice of God
May 20, 2007 - What’s on your list?
May 13, 2007 - Multi-Operational Managers
May 6, 2007 - Whatever is best for you
April 29, 2007 - Generational accountability
April 22, 2007 - Don’t play with fire
April 15, 2007 - Love for pets (and for God’s other creatures)
April 8, 2007 - If it isn’t true
March 25, 2007 - How to help an atheist
March 18, 2007 - Don’t throw away the scale
March 11, 2007 - Under the radar
March 4, 2007 - In the hospital room
February 25, 2007 - Itching to do wrong
February 18, 2007 - Be yourself
February 11, 2007 - Working at it
February 4, 2007 - In the secret place
January 28, 2007 - Faithful with a few
January 21, 2007 - The pathway of inconvenience
January 14, 2007 - Too much attention
January 7, 2007 - Untapped capacity
December 31, 2006 - Rewriting the script
December 24, 2006 - What is the baby’s name?
December 17, 2006 - We’ll see
December 8, 2006 - Evangelism is a team effort
December 3, 2006 - They didn’t know
November 26, 2006 - Only the best
November 19, 2006 - Layer upon layer of blessing
November 12, 2006 - Cities? Who cares?
November 5, 2006 - A rare form of courage
October 29, 2006 - Can I borrow that?
October 22, 2006 - How full is your plate?
October 15, 2006 - Shouldn’t life be easier?
October 8, 2006 - Time for a check-up
October 1, 2006 - Always remember why
September 24, 2006 - Painful questions, perfect delight
September 17, 2006 - God’s picture frame
September 10, 2006 - No one is useless if he has a friend
September 3, 2006 - On the job with Jesus
August 27, 2006 - Taking pains to do what is right
August 20, 2006 - What can you learn from a child?
August 13, 2006 - Interruptions
August 6, 2006 - Doing your part in the ‘super-organism’
July 30, 2006 - Go and show, then let it go
July 23, 2006 - Harmony
July 16, 2006 - A milestone
July 9, 2006 - The glory of the extra mile
July 2, 2006 - Living in denial?
June 25, 2006 - How good and pleasant it could be!
June 18, 2006 - Advice for young leaders
June 11, 2006 - The person not to marry
June 4, 2006 - Good moments
May 28, 2006 - Empty and full
May 21, 2006 - The best thing about your body
May 14, 2006 - Tough and tender moms
April 30, 2006 - Fed up?
April 23, 2006 - Pillows and bricks
April 16, 2006 - We had hoped
April 9, 2006 - 'Fess up
April 2, 2006 - Where have all the Bibles gone?
March 26, 2006 - Old so soon
March 19, 2006 - Still in the woods
March 12, 2006 - Encourage your kids-don't exasperate them
March 5, 2006 - That empty feeling
February 26, 2006 - The church: a trouble-free zone?
February 19, 2006 - No one understands
February 12, 2006 - Clarity and courage
February 5, 2006 - What will they remember?
January 29, 2006 - The discomfort zone
January 22, 2006 - A voice like no other
January 15, 2006 - A mouth touched by the Master
January 8, 2006 - Owe no
January 1, 2006 - It just 'happened'?
December 25, 2005 - Christmas contradictions
December 18, 2005 - Three stories
December 11, 2005 - Security measures
December 4, 2005 - Stay Colders
November 27, 2005 - 2055
November 20, 2005 - Living like a king
November 13, 2005 - Breaking the pavement in Ukraine
November 6, 2005 - Second stringers
October 30, 2005 - Praying in the dark
October 23, 2005 - The egg basket
October 16, 2005 - The sheep in the shadows
October 9, 2005 - Overcoming grace-resistance
October 2, 2005 - Honesty is the Lord's policy
September 25, 2005 - Kingdom kids
September 18, 2005 - Custom-made Christians
September 11, 2005 - Seeing the whole picture
August 26, 2005 - What a loss!