Objects of Easter: Wave Those Palm Branches (Part V)
Sermon Title: Objects of Easter – The Palm Branches of Victory
Good News Statement: Jesus offers us a meaning of Easter through what we see
Summary: The Easter story is filled with touching moments that have changed the world, but it is also filled with objects that have changed our life; and these objects add depth and meaning to the resurrection, which we count on happening.
Preached: Sunday, March 29th, 2026 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC
Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.
Scripture (NRSVUE): Luke 19:28-38 Today’s scripture reading comes from the Gospel of Luke. During the Lenten and Easter Season, we are going to be walking with Jesus to the Cross, listening to his parables, deciphering his teachings, and experiencing our own resurrection. Our walk continues to by witnessing Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem: people are waving palm branches and shouting “Hosannas”. But what does this mean for us? Our scripture reading is Luke Chapter Nineteen, Verses Twenty-Eight thru Thirty-Eight. May the hearing and understanding of this scripture add a blessing to your life.
Jesus’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
28 After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” 32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They said, “The Lord needs it.” 35 Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. 37 Now as he was approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, 38 saying,
“Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!”
This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”
The following Sermon Series will be drawn from the words of Biblical Scholar Charles R. Swindoll, who offers commentary and thoughts on the Gospel of Luke in his book ”Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke” published in 2012 by Zondervan Publications in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2012
Introduction:
Everywhere you look, you see something, an object that has changed the world. According to Nature, an online news source, “nails, wheels, springs, magnets, lenses, string, and pumps are seven everyday objects that have made the modern world.”[1] Just sitting in this room, I bet you can spot a majority of those objects.
Have you ever given any thought to the objects in your life? Have you thought about how at one point in history that object didn’t exist? Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you didn’t have a certain object that you have today? Have you ever taken a step back and said, “My, how things have changed.” We live in a society, in a culture, in a world where life thrives on objects; and the objects we have today, much like in the past, will be replaced by other objects that would confuse us today but will make life easier in the future. Our life has been, is, and will be consumed by the objects in which we seek.
For a moment, listen to this list of objects that have not only changed our life but have also changed the world:[2] the nail, the wheel, string and rope, magnets, the compass, and lenses, the printing press, vaccines and penicillin, concrete, steel, batteries, electricity, the light bulb, airplanes, automobiles, trains, boats, farm machinery, refrigerators, the microwave, and the sewing machine, credit cards, zippers, Velcro, GPS, computers, smartphones, and the internet. These objects created global interconnection, increased personal mobility, and transformed the ability to store, use, and transfer energy and information. This is not an exhaustive list—and it certainly doesn’t account for every object ever made that changed the world—but it is a list of objects in which many of us have access to today that do in fact change our life.
At this point you may be wondering what all this has to do with Easter, since we are in the Easter Season. Well, the Easter Season is filled with objects that have changed the world. There are Easter Eggs, Baskets filled with gifts and treats, bunny cakes, special candies and sweets, and we can’t forget about the Easter Bunny. But there are other objects related to Easter that have also changed the world. And these objects aren’t just any objects but objects found in scripture during the last days and hours of Jesus’ life. But sadly, sometimes we overlook these objects because, as song writer AJR states, we want “to skip to the good part”[3] which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ—the moment when the stone is rolled away, the cloth is folded, and the tomb is empty. So, for the next few weeks, we are going to explore certain objects of the Easter Story that have not only changed our life but have changed the world.
Body:
The remaining days and hours of Jesus’ life on earth are composed of objects: objects that bring forth tears, torture, and trauma, objects that offer renewal, restoration, and rejuvenation, and objects that administer hope, faith, and encouragement. In scripture, specifically in the Gospel accounts—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—there is a plethora of objects that bring to life the remaining hours of Jesus life; and every object mentioned is an object used to change our life and deepen the meaning of the days leading up to Jesus’ last breath from the cross.
As one walks with Jesus during what we call “Holy Week”[4]—a sacred week spanning the final days of Jesus’ life—one will encounter palm branches, cloaks, a donkey, an upper room, a sacred meal, foot washing, a basin of water, the garden of Gethsemane, instruments used for torture, a crown of thorns, a robe, the cross, nails, spears, sponges, a torn veil, anointment used for burial purposes, the folded cloth, the rolled away stone, and a tomb hewed out of stone. The Easter season is filled with objects that add meaning and depth to the story we not only long to hear but count on happening in our life.
Today, we find ourselves on a street in Jerusalem, lined with people shouting “Hosannas” and waving palm branches high in the air. Today is Palm Sunday! Today, we gather as God’s people, waving our palm branches high in the air to triumphantly welcome Jesus into our life and community. Today, we shout for joy that he has arrived: “Hosanna, in the highest heaven.” Today, we recognize the coming of a Savior who will save us from our sins, fill our hearts with eternal love, and nurture our spirits with heavenly grace. Today, we are reminded of the victory found in Christ.
Today, we spend time examining and reflecting on what many faith traditions hand out on Palm Sunday, and that is the palm branch. What does the palm branch mean? What does the palm branch represent? Why, out all the other approximate 19 species of trees of Jerusalem, is the one that produces palm branches that one that is used to give praise to Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem? Is it possible to live out the meaning of the palm branch in our life today? It’s time to wave those branches for Jesus!
Movement One: The “Upper Room”, the Courtyard, and the Crown and Robe…
Before we get to this week’s Easter Object, let’s remind ourselves of where we have been. Four weeks ago we began a new sermon series focused on the “objects of Easter” that appear during the week, days, and hours leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Four Sundays ago, we spent time in the “upper room” as mentioned in Mark 14:12-16. Based on biblical descriptions and historical context the “upper room”[5] in Jerusalem—a “large” (Mark 14:15), “furnished” (Luke 22:12), and “ready” (Mark 14:15) space—was located on the second floor of house and was used to escape noise, often had improved ventilation, was sometimes where guests stayed, and was where women in the household resided. It was in the upper room where Jesus had one last meal with his disciples and washed their feet. Later on, according to the Book of Acts, the disciples—a total of 120—gathered at Pentecost in the upper room as they “were filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4).[6]
To this, I invited you to contemplate the following questions: “Where is your upper room? Where do you allow yourself to feel the presence of Christ in your life?” Having an upper room in your life is essential not only for your faith but for your relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s in your upper room, whatever that may be, that you allow yourself to experience the presence of Jesus Christ. So this Easter, find that space and enjoy it.
Three weeks ago, we found ourselves in the courtyard with Peter, around a fire, who was caught denying Jesus three times before the rooster crowed twice (Mark 14:66-72).[7] In denying Jesus, Peter also denies the past three years of his life; he denies who he is and what he had become, a follower of Jesus; and he does something in which he thought he would never do: protect himself before protecting Jesus. Peter’s denying is important because it calls us to consider all the times in which we have denied Jesus to some degree in our life. But that is not the only thing that takes place in the courtyard.
We read “And he broke down and wept” (Mark 14:72). Peter wept. The one who walked on water and the one who saw Jesus transfigured, wept. The one who chose to follow Jesus and who decided to give up his fishing nets to fish for people, wept. The one who became the rock—something firm and strong and brave and courageous—wept. The one, who identified Jesus, wept. Peter wept. He wept because he realized what he had done. But he also realized what we have come to believe today: Jesus forgives us and Jesus loves us. In the courtyard we weep knowing that our life needs to change for Christ.
Two weeks ago, we spent time examining the crown of thorns and the purple robe draped upon Jesus as the crowd who shouted, “Crucify Him. Crucify Him.” We learned that the crown of thorns was originally viewed as an object of mockery, humiliation, and torture made from twisting date palms together into a circular shape, and then pressed, most likely with force, upon the head of the victim. The crown of thorns that Jesus wore was not the crown he wears today, but it was a crown that carried our sins. The thorns represent the sins of the people; and Jesus wore our sins to the cross, they were pressed into him. Today, we aren’t meant to want to wear the crown of thorns, but rather seek—through the teachings and sayings and love and grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ—a heavenly crown that guarantees us righteousness and salvation.
Then we learned about the purple robe, which much like the crown of thorns was an object of mockery. The robe is a sign of Jesus’ authority, his power, his servitude, and the fulfillment of his heavenly title, “The King of Kings.” From the color purple—which represents courage—the robe was a visual sign to all of us of the courage that Jesus has draped over us. This courage allows us to deny ourselves, carry our cross, follow Jesus, love our enemies, love our neighbors as we love ourselves, turn the other cheek, pray for those who persecute us, and simply do what Christ needs us to do. This courage allows us to live the life that we have been so graciously gifted, so that we can face tomorrow.
Finally, last week, we found ourselves on the road Jesus traveled to his crucifixion known as the Via Dolorosa. In Latin it means “Way of Sorrows” or “Way of Suffering.” This road is located in the Old City of Jerusalem. It stretches roughly 2,000 feet—less than a mile—from the Palace of King Herod, where he was condemned by Pontius Pilate, to Calvary the place of his crucifixion. Today, thousands, possibly millions, of people travel this road—possibly walking in the very footsteps of Jesus to help them remember what Jesus went through for them. This is the last road Jesus physically walked on this earth before his death.
As Jesus traveled this road, which wasn’t perfect by any means and what seemed to be a parade for the condemned, he was beaten and tortured, forced to carry his cross—either the entire cross or just the cross-beam—as people shouted and mocked him, spat on him and possibly through things at him, and as a group of women followers stood off in the distance watching holding items used for one’s burial, as the disciples were nowhere to be seen, as Mary the mother of Jesus was crying off in the distance as her son is marched to his death, and as Simon of Cyrene—who is in town for the Passover—was forced to carry the cross as his two sons are hidden in the crowd shielded from seeing the horrendous sight. This brief moment on what we call Good Friday, invites us to consider the roads that we have traveled and whether or not we seek to find Jesus on those roads.
Each one of us have traveled many roads: roads that are smooth and maintained, roads that are nothing but gravel, filled with twist and turns, hill after hill after hill, seem to lead somewhere and some that seem to lead nowhere, and roads that we want to travel again and other roads that we never want to see again. In life we travel so many roads, but the one road that truly changed our life is the road that Jesus traveled for us, the road that Jesus travels with us, and the road that we invite Jesus to meet us on. So, what road are you traveling today? Are you inviting Jesus to travel with you?
This leads us to thinking about what happened before Jesus traveled the Via Dolorosa. He entered Jerusalem with shouts and praises. He rode a donkey as cloaks were placed on the ground. He heard people wanting to be saved. He saw palm branches being waved. It was a joyous day for many; and today it is a day to remind us of the victory that will be placed on a cross, placed in a tomb, and three days later rise from that tomb. What do the objects of that day teach us about Easter?
Movement Two: Palm Sunday Has Arrived…
Jesus had a long climb ahead of him. The three-thousand-foot ascent from Jericho, the town where he is coming from, to Jerusalem didn’t present the worst challenge, though; the distance could be traveled in less than a day, and he had made this climb three times a year since the age of twelve. He had visited Judea many other times for the sake of ministry. But this trip differed from all the others: he didn’t come to worship, but to die. Luke indicates that many months earlier, Jesus had “determined to go to Jerusalem” (9:51) although his arrival would come with rejection, ridicule, and torture.[8] According to the Prophet Isaiah, the mighty King would suffer unspeakable agony (Isaiah 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9). He would be exalted and then humiliated (Isaiah 52:13-15), rejected as King (53:1-3), scourged and pierced (53:4-6), offered to God as an atoning sacrifice, and then rose to life again (53:10-12), if he went to Jerusalem.[9] Regardless of knowing all this and that death was inevitable, Jesus marched relentlessly toward Jerusalem for our sake.
Listen to the story of Jesus’ Triumphant Entry. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is recounted in all four Gospels, but the one that I will share with you comes from Luke 19:28-38: “After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’’ So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ They said, ‘The Lord needs it.’ Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. Now as he was approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!’”
Jesus enters Jerusalem as crowds of people cheer as they hailed the coming of David’s Kingdom.[10] The crowd, with great shouts of praise, adores Jesus by saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9). When Jesus came into Jerusalem, many were anticipating a messiah who would lead an armed rebellion against the Romans, which is exactly what the Zealots wanted from the beginning of time. The people were so eager to welcome Jesus that they not only shouted but laid their cloaks on the ground before him as a sign of respect and waved palm branches high in the air as he rode into town on a humble and never before ridden donkey. The people were seeking a warrior, a fighter, a “Goliath”, an earthly King. You see, the people wanted a king, an earthly king: someone who would physically fight on their behalf by taking out his sword and defeating the enemy before them[11], by gathering five pebbles and a slingshot and taking down the giant, by opening the Red Sea and closing it upon the enemy. It’s no wonder the people threw Jesus a parade: a glorified parade fit for an earthly king. However, Jesus sorely disappointed the people. Instead of war, “Jesus,” according to Adam Hamilton, “taught [the] people to love their enemies and [to] pray for their persecutors.” The one who came to Jerusalem is not the one who will conquer the Roman Empire but will conquer the hearts of the people.
When the people saw Jesus, they saw someone who would defeat the Roman Empire—the very empire that had enslaved, mistreated, and tortured millions of people merely to gain power, prestige, and providence. It’s a joyous day for the people, but a heartbreaking day for Jesus as he looks around and says to himself, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. They do not understand.” What they wanted was not what they needed. They wanted a warrior, but what they needed was a Savior. Do you need a savior today?
Movement Three: Jerusalem, The Donkey, and Shouts of “Hosannas”
There are a few objects to bring forth this morning. First, “Why Jerusalem?” According to the Gospel of Matthew, Palm Sunday was the first time Jesus ever appeared in the great, bustling city of Jerusalem, which is not the case for Luke, however. Jesus knew that his ministry would not be complete and his mission would not be successful unless he took his gospel message from the small towns of Galilee in the northern part of Israel—such as Capernaum, Nazareth and Bethsaida, and even towns that rejected him and told him to leave (Luke 8:34-37)—to the great Temple in Jerusalem.[12]
There is absolutely no question about the fact that the key to the gospel being able to reach to the ends of the earth as commanded in Matthew 28 was that Jesus first take the gospel to Jerusalem. Jesus had to go to Jerusalem for the same reason Paul knew he had to go to Athens, then Ephesus, then on to Rome. The gospel had to be declared in places and spaces that served as the crossroads of culture and ideas. The message had to be preached in places where the world always was coming and going so people who heard it could take the message with them wherever they went. Coming to Jerusalem—a wealthy, bustling, and heavily fortified city[13]—was not a casual occurrence; it was a determined, strategic decision and a necessary first step in the process of sharing the gospel and letting people know that Jesus is the king that has come to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
Jesus entering Jerusalem, on Palm Sunday, is our invite to really think about where and to whom we are willing to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus went out of his comfort zone to inform the people about his message. Jesus travelled to a town filled with believers and disbelievers to let people know of who he is. Jesus entered a town that sought to kill him. Jesus entered a town that he would never leave alive. As is famously sung in the song Life is a Highway, “There’s a world outside every darkened door….” Jesus realized that there was a world waiting to know and hear his message. Jerusalem was the door that allowed him to reach the outside world. Jesus needed to be Jerusalem.
Second, Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey. Upon entering the city of Jerusalem from Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, Jesus directs two of his disciples to fetch a colt, a young donkey, and says to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.” (Luke 19:30). But why a donkey?
First, Jesus seeking a donkey is to fulfill what was spoken by the Prophet Zechariah: “Behold, your king is coming to you; he is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey…” (Zechariah 9:9). Jesus impresses the animal, the colt, as a king would who is entitled to whatever he needs; but, unlike, plundering kings, Jesus will return the animal immediately. Jesus chose a donkey to fulfill Old Testament prophecy.[i]
Second, instead of parading into town on a majestic horse, like a King would have, Jesus comes into town riding a donkey[14]: a colt that has never been ridden, never been used to carry anything. Jesus chooses a humble and gentle donkey to help him share his message because he knows that what that donkey offers is more than enough to do what he needs to do. Jesus, by choosing a humble donkey, is sending a message that he doesn’t need anything grand or extravagant or flashy or top of the line to share his message: he has all that he needs. He has the guidance of God and the power of the Holy Spirit in his life.[15] Jesus, a humble king, had all that he needed to save the people, even those who didn’t yet believe. [16] Do you have what you need to share the gospel?
Third, Jesus choosing to ride a donkey brings the story full circle. Although not biblically accurate but historically speculative, just before Jesus is born, Mary is found riding a donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem—about 90 miles—to be counted in the census. During this journey, we know that Mary is pregnant and just days away from giving birth to Jesus. Before Jesus is born, in the womb, he is found riding a donkey, and now just days away from his crucifixion, he chooses to ride a donkey into Jerusalem. Much like Jesus choosing to use the upper room in Jerusalem to gather with his disciples for one last meal—kataluma in Greek, often translated as “inn” or “guest room”—a place that once rejected his parents is now the place that accepts him, Jesus is using moments from his past to complete his story in the present.
Jesus choosing to ride a donkey, draws us back to Mary and Joseph, the moment when Jesus’ story and mission began to come alive. This moment could be an indication that as Jesus was traveling to his death, he was remembering his life, recalling certain moments, and remembering people who loved him. Today, we have a saying for this: “My life flashed before my eyes.” This phrase is often said to describe a near-death experience when a person suddenly and rapidly recalls numerous and vivid memories from their past during a moment of extreme danger and trauma. In an article published by Psychology Today, Dr. Sam Parnia, the author of What Happens When We Die, shares, “Dying people often have paradoxical lucidity with heightened consciousness. This includes a meaningful, purposeful review of their entire lives, which encompasses all their actions, intentions and thoughts—in essence, their humanity—towards others.”[17] I believe, during what we call Holy Week—Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday—Jesus’ life flashed before his eyes numerous times and the actions he took—like choosing to use a donkey—are our indication that Jesus was remembering his past all the way up until his death. The donkey does represent humility and peace and is the opposite of what an earthly king would choose to ride; and it draws attention to how Jesus was remembering his past in the present.
Third, as Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey the people are shouting “Hosanna.” Hosanna is a word that is loosely translated as “Save us now!” So when the Jews waved palm branches as Jesus came down from the Mount of Olives, they were saying, “Jesus, be our deliverer. Save us from the Romans. Cast out our enemies, and free us from their awful oppression. Save us now. Save us now.” The Jews, through their adored “Hosannas” were shouting what many of us shout today. We seek to be saved. We seek to be renewed by the Holy Spirit. We seek to be delivered from our past. We seek a king that will overthrow those who persecute and trespass against us. We seek the same messiah that the Jews sought: a messiah that will save us now.
But if you really think about it, “Save us now” is not just a chant but is a prayer to have Jesus in your life. You are going through something: new challenges, battling doubt, having questions about the future, trying to plan for something, wanting to do something new but are afraid of the outcome, want to suggest an idea without hurting those around you but don’t know how, and the list could go on. Maybe you know of someone in your life that is going through something or battling some sort of storm that needs to pray, “Save me now.” What was happening on that Palm Sunday was rejoicing for a new beginning, but also the realization that we need Jesus in our life so that we can be saved, so that we can continue to wave our palm branches, so that we can face tomorrow and find victory in him. Jesus wants to save you and be in your life, but do you want him to save you and do you want him in your life?
I mean aren’t we told in scripture that Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10)? Don’t we witness Jesus saving Peter from drowning in the water in the Gospel of Matthew? Don’t we encounter throughout the New Testament of Jesus saving people from illnesses, from injuries, from ridicule, from demons, from pain, from suffering, and from themselves? Aren’t we told in the Gospel of John that for those that believe in Jesus shall not perish but have eternal life, suggesting that those who believe can be saved (John 3:16)? Jesus is in the business of saving, which is why the people are shouting “Hosanna” and why we pray “save us now.” We want to be saved! We want to be saved from our sins. We want to be saved from our past. We want to be saved from our mistakes and failures and messes. We want to be saved from those who have hurt us. We want to be saved from whatever has taken us away from God. We are people who want to be saved and who need to be saved. But are you willing to shout “Hosanna” and ask God to you save you now? Can you surrender all to Jesus?
Movement Four: The Palm Branch…
Now we turn our attention to the palm branch. Palm trees are abundant in the land of Israel and have been mentioned in the Bible on several occasions. For example, one of Israel’s judges, Deborah, conducted court meetings under the shade of palm branches (Judges 4:5); King Solomon had carved the walls of the temple, both inner and outer sanctuaries, with figures of palm trees (1 Kings 6:29); and in the Book of Leviticus, the palm tree is an important symbol of victory for Israel after God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt (Leviticus 23:40-43). And in the First, Second, and Third Books of Maccabees, which are not canonized in the Protestant Bible, one can read that after the Maccabean Revolt—when the Jews overcame the Greek Seleucid in the second century BCE—leader Judas Maccabeus was celebrated by the people who waved palm branches in the air as he rode back into town.
The palm branch that we hold today reminds us of three things: we have all that we need in Jesus, we are connected to Jesus, and that there is victory in Jesus. First, the palm branch that you hold in your hand today reminds you that you have all that you need in Jesus. What I mean by this is, when the people waved their palm branch upon seeing Jesus, they wanted a warrior—they wanted another Judas Maccabeus—who would start a revolt against the Romans and conquer the Romans on their behalf. But what they needed was a Savior—someone who would answer their prayers of “save us now.” The palm branch that you hold in your hand is a reminder that what you want is not always what you need, that what Jesus gives you may not be what you want but it is what you need in life. This palm branch draws us back to the person that Jesus is—“a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6); and one who comes to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10); and one who is defined as “living water” (John 4:13-14). We want a lot of things in our life, but how often do our wants truly fulfill what we need? The palm branch you hold is a reminder of the Savior that you need in life.
Second, as you look at the palm branch in which you hold, I encourage you to remember these words spoken by Jesus in the Gospel of John. When describing who he is to the disciples, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). You are connected to Jesus through this palm branch. Jesus is the vine, the stem upon which you hold, and you are the branches, the leaves that extend outward. As people waved their palm branch, Jesus saw them holding on to him, needing him, and not having the urge to let go. And he also saw how they were connected to him. This palm branch is a reminder of how you are not just connected to and are part of Jesus, but a reminder that you need Jesus in your life to nurture you, to sustain you, and to help you grow in faith. Without this palm branch, we are nothing, we can’t produce the fruit that is needed to grow more palm branches: to share his love and message to the world.
If you take a palm branch home, I encourage you to hold onto it every time you pray, especially in those moments when you feel alone. Or maybe instead of holding it while you pray, you will write the name Jesus on the stem and then write your name and/or the names of those you love on the leaves as a reminder that Jesus loves, cares for, and claims you and those in your life as his own. Another option is to write the names of those whom you are praying for constantly on the leaves. This palm branch is a reminder of how you are connected to Jesus and how Jesus is connected to you: “remain in me, as I also remain in you…” (John 15:4).
Third and lastly, the palm branch you hold is a sign of victory. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the memory of the Maccabean Revolt lingered in the minds of first century Jews, shaping their hopes and frustrations under Roman rule. This revolt was a defining moment in Jewish history. According to author and United Methodist pastor, Rachel Billups, “Led by Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, the Jewish rebels successfully overthrew the Greek Seleucid rulers, reclaiming and rededicating the desecrated temple in Jerusalem…. However, by the time of Jesus, the power of Rome cast a far darker shadow over the Jewish aspirations.”[18] By the time of Jesus, the Jews were seeking freedom from oppression, freedom from being held captive, freedom from being controlled, and freedom from not being able to live their life; so when Jesus came into town, the Jewish people found hope and promise in a person that would give them victory over the Roman Empire. “The people longed for another Judas Maccabeus,” according to Billups, “a leader who could drive out their oppressors and restore their people’s freedom.”[19] Jesus would give them victory but not in their sense of the word. As Jesus rode into town, the people found victory. They saw someone that would save them! They believed in someone that would rescue them from their present circumstances. Jesus was their victorious warrior who would become their victorious Savior, but they didn’t know it yet.
The palm branch you hold today is a reminder of the person who brings you the victory that you seek: it reminds you of the one who can split your Red Seas and get you safely to the other side, of the one who can calm your storms and bring you peace, of the one who can heal you, forgive you, save you, and love you unconditionally, of the one who answers your prayers, of the one who carries you in times of trouble, of the one who removes your anxieties and worries, of the one who sits with you in your grief and sorrow, of the one who turns your messes into messages, trials into triumphs, failures into faith, and the one who died on a cross and rose three days later.
Church, the palm branch you hold today is a simple but powerful reminder that there is victory in Jesus. As we often sing, “O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever. He sought me and bought me with his redeeming blood; he loved me ere I knew him, and all my love is due him, he plunged me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood.” Church, wave that palm branch and remember the victory in Jesus. Know that whatever happens during the day, during the week, during your life, there is and always will be victory in Jesus who didn’t come to conquer but who come to save you.
Conclusion:
I want to bring this message to a close by sharing this simple story. One Palm Sunday, a little boy had a sore throat and had to stay home from church with a sitter. When the rest of the family came home, they were carrying palm branches. The little boy asked what they were for. His father told him that people held them over Jesus’ head when he walked by. In a sad, disappointed voice, the little boy said, “Wouldn’t you know it? The one Sunday I miss, Jesus shows up!”
Church, the palm branch that you have received today is a reminder of what Jesus was willing to do to spread his message of love: he rode into Jerusalem—a town that wanted to crucify him—on a humble donkey—connecting his present with his past—as people shouted “Hosannas” seeking for a warrior to save them now. And as he rode by, people waved their palm branch as a sign of victory in Jesus. You know what, Jesus really did show up! He showed up in Jerusalem just like he shows up in your life today and everyday to save you and to encourage you to wave your own palm branch of victory. I invite you to place your palm branch somewhere in your house as a reminder that Jesus has showed up for you; and he doesn’t want you to miss it!
The Easter Season, as portrayed in scripture through the events of Holy Week, is filled with objects that add depth and meaning to the remaining days and hours of Jesus’ life. From the palm branches to the upper room to the garden to Calvary and to the empty tomb, everything we encounter along the way teaches us more about how much we need the meaning of Easter in our life so that we not only wait for it but count on it happening.
Let it be so…
Closing Prayer:
Let us pray: Dear Jesus, we wave our palm branch for you today as we pray to find victory in your saving grace, in your eternal forgiveness, and in your unconditional love. Grant us the courage to wave our palm branch for you today and always. In your victorious name we pray. Amen.
Benediction:
Church, Jesus entered Jerusalem for you. Jesus rode on donkey for you. Jesus is willing to save you now. So, don’t be afraid to wave your palm branch of victory for him! May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go forth counting on the resurrection of Christ to happen. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.
[1] Anna Novizky, “Seven everyday objects that made the modern world,” Nature online. March 06, 2023: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00643-8#:~:text=Nails%2C%20wheels%2C%20springs%2C%20magnets,By Accessed: February 24, 2026.
[2] the nail (enabling construction), wheel (transportation), string/rope (securing tools), magnets/compass (navigation), and lenses (optics/microscopy), the printing press (information sharing), vaccines/penicillin (medicine), the steam engine (energy-into-motion), which fueled factories and trains, alongside concrete and batteries, electricity, the light bulb, airplane, automobile, farm machinery, refrigerator, and the sewing machine, credit cards, zippers, Velcro, GPS, computers, smartphones, and the internet. These objects created global interconnection, increased personal mobility, and transformed the ability to store, use, and transfer energy and information.
[3] AJR, “The Good Part”, The Click, 2017. Streamed on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.
[4] Holy Week (or Semana Santa) is the most sacred week in Christianity, spanning the final eight days of Jesus’ life, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. It is a time of intense reflection, prayer, and liturgical services commemorating the Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. Key days and events during Holy Week include: Palm Sunday: Commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem; Holy Thursday: Celebrates the Last Supper and the washing of feet; Good Friday: Solemnly marks the crucifixion and death of Jesus; Holy Saturday: The day of the Easter Vigil, leading into the celebration of the Resurrection: Easter Sunday: Celebrates the Resurrection.
[5] In Greek anagaion meaning upper room or cenaculum meaning dining room.
[6] Also in the Book of Acts, we read that Paul, before departing Ephesus, is found preaching from within an upper room, in which someone falls asleep and tumbles out of the window (Acts 20:7-12). Later on, in Philemon, Paul requests that a guest room—an upper room—be prepared for him: “One thing more: prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be restored to you” (Philemon 1:22). But even before the previously mentioned events in the Book of Acts, we read that it was in the upper room that Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection to greet them and show them his hands and his side (John 20:19-29), removing Thomas’ doubt (John 20:26-27), after saying “Peace be with you” (Luke 24:36-49). Even before all these events, the upper room is where the prophet Elisha stayed: the room was furnished with a bed, table, chair, and a lamp (2 Kings 4:10). Today, the upper room is an object that changed the world because at one point it rejected Mary and Joseph—there was now room in the upper room (Luke 2:7)—but then it became a place that was available to Jesus, to the disciples, to the 120, and now available to us. At one point in time, the upper room, the kataluma, was a place of rejection but now is a place of acceptance: a place where one is able to accept the presence of Christ in their life.
[7] After Jesus spends time in the upper room and then prays in the Garden of Gethsemane as three of his disciples fall asleep, Jesus is betrayed by Judas with a kiss (Mark 14:43-50).[7] It’s after this kiss that Jesus is turned over to the Roman authority and transported by night to the Praetorium, the palace, of King Herod where Roman Governor Pontius Pilate was staying.
[8] According to Swindoll, the reason why Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem was to “claim the throne and take ownership of the temple.”
[9] Since his decision to march to Jerusalem, the ministry of Jesus “crisscrossed Galilee and penetrated deep into Samaria, proclaiming the kingdom of God in every synagogue that welcomed him.” All along the way, he gathered followers by the thousands, so that by the time he reached Jericho, a massive entourage of cheering disciples went before him. Despite his many warnings, the people expected the city would be his before the end of Passover. Indeed, he would triumph, but not in the manner the people expected.
[10] After a sumptuous banquet, the remarkable conversion of Zacchaeus, a final lesson on the use of many in the kingdom, and perhaps a good night’s rest, Jesus and his followers began the long trek uphill from Jericho to Jerusalem.
[11] …which is the opposite of what Jesus tells Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).
[12] Jerusalem was where every new idea and every new philosophy had to end up sooner or later. If you were to study the trajectory of the New Testament, it begins in small towns such as Nazareth, Bethlehem, Capernaum and Bethsaida; but the road ahead always seems to be pointing to a more critical site in which the drama of the story could fully and finally unfold.
[13] Matthew J. Grey, “Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus Christ,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, published June 2023, accessed March 24, 2026: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2023/06/united-states-and-canada-section/04-jerusalem-in-the-time-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng. Population of Jerusalem was 20,000-60,000 people.
[14]Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2012, pg. 449. According to Swindoll, “Jesus could have walked to Jerusalem as he had countless times before. But instead, he mounted the donkey because his trip down the Mount of Olives, across the Kidron Valley, and into Jerusalem was different…. Jesus entered the city on a symbol of peace”
[15] I’m pretty sure that if Jesus, at this point, came to Jesus and said follow me, he would have no regrets, show no hesitation, and offer no excuses.
[16] As followers of Christ, Palm Sunday teaches us that we have all that we need to share the good news: we have Jesus, we have his word, we have his love, we have his grace, and we have his guidance. We have Jesus. Jesus, through that donkey, is our “maximum contagion.”[16] Jesus chose a donkey to show his humbleness and to remind us that he was not entering Jerusalem to be the best: He entered Jerusalem just being himself. We don’t have to be the best; we simply have to be who Christ needs us to be. Would you choose a donkey to carry you as you share the message of Christ?
[17] Michelle Quirk, “Our Life Really Does Flash Before Our Eyes When We Die,” Psychology Today, published October 17, 2023: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-nonlinear-life/202310/your-life-really-flashes-before-your-eyes-when-you-die#:~:text=Dying%20people%20often%20have%20%E2%80%9Cparadoxical,What%20Happens%20When%20We%20Die. Accessed March 23, 2026.
[18] Rachel Billups, An Unlikely Lent: Extraordinary People of the Easter Story, Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 2025. pg. 50.
[19] Rachel Billups, An Unlikely Lent: Extraordinary People of the Easter Story, Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 2025. pg. 51.
[i] Mark uses the term “immediately” approximately twenty-seven times. Scdnntoeurholars have taken note of this repeated occurrence and have surmised that Mark treats Jesus’ ministry as a process that removes hesitation as it strives to get to the crucifixion. Mark wants Jesus to get from point A to point B with haste. The disciples obey Jesus, and everything takes place as Jesus said it would.