Palm Sunday: What It Means and Why We Celebrate It
Why do we wave branches and shout “Hosanna” the Sunday before Easter? Palm Sunday is more than a charming tradition—it’s the beginning of the most important week in the Christian year. This day draws us into the story of Jesus’ kingship, humility, and mission to save. Let’s explore what makes Palm Sunday so significant, and why the church still celebrates it today.
Why are there palm branches in church on the Sunday before Easter? What does “Hosanna” mean in all these songs we’re singing? What is the significance of Jesus’ triumphal entry?
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, when we celebrate the final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry, culminating in his death on the cross and resurrection on Easter Sunday. It is one of the lesser-known Sundays of the church calendar, but it is deeply rooted in the history of the church and the story of the gospel.
What is Palm Sunday?
Palm Sunday is the sixth and final Sunday of Lent and it ushers in Holy Week, the most important week of the Christian year. It commemorates Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as a returning king. It is named for the palm branches waved by the crowd gathered to see him.
The celebrating crowds laid down their cloaks and palm branches on the path Jesus took into Jerusalem.
The triumphal entry into Jerusalem is found in all four Gospels (Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-40, John 12:12-19); it records Jesus fulfilling the important prophecy of Zechariah 9:9:
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.
In fulfilling this prophecy, Jesus effectively declared himself the King of Israel. The Jewish leaders and crowds assembled there would have immediately made this connection.
But why a donkey? After all, kings normally rode horses into battle and back into their cities. A donkey symbolized peace and humility. Jesus is a different kind of king, one whose victory would be won in humility. Nonetheless, Jesus is the Prince of Peace, coming home to his people.
The celebrating crowds laid down their cloaks and palm branches on the path Jesus took into Jerusalem. As he passed, they sang from Psalm 118:26, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” and they sang “Hosanna, to the Son of David! Hosanna in the Highest.” Hosanna is a Hebrew word that means, “Save us, please!” The crowds were calling on their long-awaited King, their promised King, to bring the salvation and deliverance for which they desperately longed.
Palm Sunday Traditions
Palm Sunday is celebrated in both Eastern and Western Christianity. Commonly, palm fronds are used as decorations and for processions at the beginning of the worship service. Some traditions burn the palms after Palm Sunday and use the ashes from the palm branches for the following year’s Ash Wednesday. In some churches, a donkey is even included in the procession!
There are often Gospel readings focusing on the passion narrative, not just the triumphal entry but also the events leading up to the crucifixion. Some churches even put on Passion Plays, reenacting the final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
What does Palm Sunday look like at Christ Church?
At our church, Palm Sunday begins with our children swaying palms sword ferns (!) as they proceed in during the first song. We often sing hymns like All Glory, Laud, and Honor or the Franklin Sanctus, echoing the crowd that welcomed Jesus in his triumphal entry.
We celebrate church holidays like Palm Sunday to build a distinctively Christian culture.
Although Palm Sunday is still part of lent (hence the purple liturgical fabric), it has a purposefully celebratory tone to match the tone of the crowds who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem. This year our sermon text will be Mark 15:33–39, a Gospel passage describing the death of Jesus. We will begin Holy Week recognizing that Christ is our crucified King—a king who answered the crowd’s “Save us, please!” by shedding his own blood.
Why We Follow the Church Calendar
We celebrate church holidays like Palm Sunday to build a distinctively Christian culture. Holidays like these and the others in the church calendar disciple the members of our church into a life that tells the story of the gospel, reinforcing our shared Christian identity as we remember who we are and what Christ has done for us.
These are not empty traditions that we follow, but meaningful ones that serve to show our unity with other Christians around the world and invite a lost world to join us as we celebrate the rule and reign of Christ.
Just as the crowds sang “Hosanna” to Jesus as he rode a donkey into Jerusalem, we thank our Lord and Savior for being our salvation: our great king who came to seek and save the lost and bring peace to the world.
