Palm Sunday Headline – Who is THIS?: Leading Up To Easter

Sermon Title: Palm Sunday…Who Is This?

Good News Statement: Jesus establishes connections with us

Preached: Sunday, March 24, 2024 at Dogwood Prairie and Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): Matthew 21:1-11 Today’s scripture reading comes from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter twenty-one, verses one thru eleven. May the hearing and reading of this scripture add understanding and meaning to your life.

Jesus’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

21 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” ⁴ This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet: ⁵ “Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” ⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; ⁷ they brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. ⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!” ¹⁰ When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” ¹¹ The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

Introduction:

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!”

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 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.

At the end of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Mark writes in the eleventh chapter of his Gospel, “Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve” (Mark 11:11). Today, we realize that Palm Sunday is just the beginning to Jesus’ resurrection. From now until then, until Jesus is resurrected and the tomb is empty, Jesus is going to be looking around in search of those who have asked for forgiveness, accepted him into their heart, live by his word, and seek the way to eternal life. We must continue to wave our palm branches high so that Jesus knows that we want him to see us, that we are the ones he is seeking and searching for.

Today is Palm Sunday, and today, we ask, “Who is Jesus?” Who is the one riding into town on a humble and gentle donkey? Who is the one upon which are palm branches are waved high in the air for? Who is the one we shout Hosanna and call Son of David? Who is the one that deserves to walk on our cloaks so his feet hover above the dirt road? Who is the one that people are calling a prophet from Nazareth in Galilee? Who is this Jesus parading through a town filled with people who despise and dislike him? Palm Sunday, is a day that we celebrate, and shout with joy, but at the same time on this day we realize who Jesus is. Who is Jesus to you and does he see you waving your palm branch?

Body:

Day One of his Passion Week begins with the crowds greeting Jesus with cheers as they hail the coming of David’s Kingdom. 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. The people were so eager to welcome Jesus that they not only shouted but laid their cloaks on the ground before him 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.” 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 comes to Jerusalem comes as the king of the entire world and dies for all people (David E. Garland); and is not the one who will conquer the Roman empire but will conquer our heart.

You see, the people wanted a king, an earthly king: someone who would physically fight for them by taking out his sword and defeating the enemy before them. It’s no wonder the people threw Jesus a parade: a glorified parade fit for an earthly king. They were excited that someone was going to fight for them. As a child, I enjoyed attending parades because they were joyful and they did meet my expectations: there was candy, there were floats, there were loud cars, old tractors, and the sounds of sirens echoed throughout the town. My expectations weren’t high for parades! As long as a parade brought me joy, I was perfectly okay. Like the people in Jerusalem, as a child I didn’t really understand the reason for having parades except to get candy from the street. The people in Jerusalem didn’t understand the real reason for this parade because they didn’t know who Jesus was, is, and always will be.

Let us remind ourselves of this triumphal story. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is recounted in all four Gospels, but the one that I will share with you comes from Matthew 21:1-11. Matthew wrote, “When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’ This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet: ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt….’ The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee’” (Matthew 21:1-11).

 

Movement One: Why Jerusalem? Why a Donkey?

According to the Gospel of Matthew, Palm Sunday was the first time Jesus ever appeared in the great, bustling city of Jerusalem. 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 and declared it in the great Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus had spent three years preaching, teaching and healing throughout the small and sometimes remote towns of Capernaum, Nazareth and Bethsaida. Jesus knew that He had to take His message to the great city of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem was where every new idea and every new philosophy had to end up sooner or later.[1] 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 on Palm Sunday was not a casual occurrence; it was a 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).

Howard Thurman, a great African-American theology, was dean of the chapel at Boston University from 1953-1965. He explained why he left his church in San Francisco in order to assume that new preaching responsibility on the East Coast. He said he went to the place where he thought he would have “the maximum possibility of contagion.” Contagion is a fancy word meaning to spread an idea or practice; and so Thurman felt that he needed to travel outside of what was comfortable in order to share and spread an idea and understanding of Jesus Christ in great and new ways, to reach the widest possible audience and have the greatest possible impact. Jesus seems to have understood this principle of “maximum contagion.” So on the day we now call Palm Sunday, He left behind places such as Nazareth, Capernaum and Bethany and marched His followers into Jerusalem. He had the right message and Jerusalem was the right place to preach it if He wanted to reach the widest possible audience.

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. The world is desperate to know the love of Christ; however, the world is filled with a lot of people who are okay with being comfortable instead of sharing the good news with as many people as they can. People, are we sharing the good news at our “maximum contagion”? Or, is there more that we can be doing? Jesus entered Jerusalem not for praise but to share his message.

In addition to entering Jerusalem, Jesus also makes another bold move. 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 immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me” (Matthew 21:2). Jesus also warns the disciples that they will be challenged when they try to take the colt. The answer the disciples are to give is, “If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately” (Matthew 21:3). This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet: “Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey…” (Matthew 21:5). 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.[i]

Instead of parading into town on a majestic horse, like a King would have, Jesus comes into town riding a donkey: 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. We live in a society where sometimes greed directs our footsteps and defines actions. We want more. We want more than we already have because we tell ourselves that what we have is not good enough. 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.

As disciples, 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.” Think of Jesus like this: there are mega churches out there: churches that have hundreds in attendance every Sunday, churches that have the best technology, and churches that require golf-carts to get to the entrance of the church because the parking lot is so huge. In those churches, the word of God is preached, but in most cases people who attend those churches are missing a genuine connection with one another. Here, at our church, we don’t have all that fancy stuff: but what we do have is our connection to one another. We are a colt compared to the stallions around the world: but even a colt, a donkey, can have the greatest impact because of the connection that is established. 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?

 

Movement Two: What Is Happening?

Now that Jesus has chosen his ride into Jerusalem, we need to ask ourselves, “What is happening?” Matthew notes, “The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” (Matthew 21:6-9).

This grand entrance—this triumphal entrance—of praise and respect is different than other entrances by Jesus. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John record Jesus entering towns or villages either by walking everywhere or by using a boat to cross the lake. The decision to complete this last journey to Jerusalem riding on a simple, humble, hard-working animal, symbolizes quite possibly the kind of savior Jesus is and not the aggressive, plundering, warrior the people are seeking. Jesus enters Jerusalem pictured as a warrior, a fighter, and destroyer, but exits as a savior, liberator, and restorer.

Matthew reports that the disciples saddle the colt with their own garments (which does not happen in John’s account), and the crowd strews the way with their garments. Jesus’ followers and those pilgrims caught up in the excitement of the moment also line the streets with leaves and waving palm branches and fill the air with a chorus of “Hosannas” (David E. Garland, 428). In the act of showing reverence to Jesus, people lay their cloaks on the ground. A cloak, a long, heavy, robe-like coat, was an Old Testament symbol of authority. For a prophet in Israel, it was a symbol of the power of God resting on him. When Elijah first met Elisha (1 Kings 19:19), he threw his cloak around him. So when the people cover the ground before Jesus with their cloaks they are symbolically suggesting that Jesus is powerful, Jesus has authority, and Jesus is more than they are. Placing one’s cloak is an act of reverence and respect. But what about the palm branches?

Palm trees are abundant in the land of Israel and have been mentioned in the Bible multiple times pertaining to important historical moments. 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). Today, palm branches symbolically represent the ability to gain victory in Christ, to know that Christ is protecting you and watching over you.[ii] As the people waved their palm branches of victory, they shouted “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.[2]

“Save us now” 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. Your palm branch is a promise that 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?

 

Movement Three: Who is Was There?

We can discover something about the people of Jerusalem as we look at the Palm Sunday narrative in Matthew. On the one hand, says Matthew, there were people who were laying their garments on the ground and tearing off branches from trees to create a kind of “red-carpet arrival” for the Man they believed to be the Messiah, the Son of God—or at least the One they thought might be the Son of David, an earthly king who would overthrow the Romans and re-establish Israel to its former glory as it enjoyed in the days of David and Solomon. These were the people who were making all the noise and creating all the uproar; they were welcoming the change they thought Jesus’ arrival was about to create. They were the ones shouting “Save us now.”

On the other hand, there were the urbane and sophisticated citizens of the bustling city of Jerusalem who had no idea what was going on that day. It may be hard for us to believe this today in a world of global communications, but most of the people in Jerusalem never had heard about Jesus before that day. There were, after all, 12 gates into and out of the city of Jerusalem. Depending on the gate through which you entered, it was possible for most people in the city to have no idea that anything was going on across town. Most of those who observed the events of Palm Sunday had no idea who this was at the center of all the commotion.

I imagine some of the Pharisees had heard rumors about Jesus concerning His teachings and miracles. I also imagine a few Roman officials had been keeping their eyes on Jesus during the preceding three years as the crowds that began to follow Him got bigger and bigger. If you had asked the average Jerusalem citizen about the Man who rode into town, sitting on a donkey, they never would have associated this fact with the prophecy that foretold of this event. So, not everyone in town was shouting Hosanna; for many in that ancient city, the only response to the procession was: Who is this?

 

Movement Four: Who is THIS?

Matthew 21:10 states, “When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’” After all, Jesus was dressed in common robes. Worse yet, instead of riding on a white stallion as a Roman conqueror would do, Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. The people would’ve been aware of the prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9 that the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem in that way, but they were unable or unwilling to connect the Messianic prophecy to the Man they saw before them. Hear the scorn in their voices: Who is this? Hear the sneer and contempt in their voices as they disdainfully dismiss Jesus: Who is this?

This was not the only time in Scripture when news about Jesus was met with scorn and disdain. You get a sense of that in John 1:46 when Philip tells Nathaniel that he wants to take him to meet Jesus, whom Philip believes to be the Messiah. When Nathaniel finds out Jesus comes from the small town of Nazareth, he says, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” That kind of contempt for people from small towns is how many in the crowd viewed Jesus on that first Palm Sunday. Who is this? Can anything good come from him?

The question asked on Palm Sunday remains the question for us to consider on this Sunday 2,000 years later: Who is this? This was not simply a matter of interest for the residents of Jerusalem; this is the question that is still being asked and answered today. Who is Jesus, and why should we pay attention to His teachings and ask for him to save us? Who is Jesus, and why have so many people put their lives under his authority?

Some people are still contemptuous of Jesus. In the 21st century, there are an increasing number of people who are disinterested in religion of any form. They are not in any church this morning. They are not receiving strips of palm branches as a reminder of that first Palm Sunday. There are still people in every city and town around the world who say: Who is this? Who is Jesus, and why should I listen to Him? In a world full of many religions and philosophies, where people either believe or don’t believe, it is important for us to have an answer to the question: Who is Jesus?

Who is this who could take men such as Peter, James and John and turn those fishermen from Capernaum into household names in every corner of the earth? Who is this that could take a Pharisee named Saul—an opponent to Christianity—and in a single encounter on the Damascus Road turn him into the chief proponent of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the very Man whose name he once had attempted to abolish? Who is this who can take people who passed through the dark night of sorrow and suffering and transform them into surgeons, teachers, musicians, scientists, preachers, scholars and statesmen? Who is this who can take the sons and daughters of poverty and limited means and bring them into lives of promise and prosperity and potential? Who is this who can look upon injustice all over the world and infuse the people living under oppression and injustice with the belief that things can be better, then equip those same people to go about doing the work that will make their world a better place? Who is this who can cause people to take off their coats and lay them on the ground so his donkey could walk over them? Who is this for whom people would tear palm branches off the trees to create a carpet? Who is this that can save us now? Who is this? Only a sovereign God can do all those things.

“Who is this?” was the question in the crowd on that day, and that question stands here today waiting for each one of us to offer an answer. Who is this? Do you speak the words with scorn and contempt? Or do you hold a better view of Jesus? Do you agree with those throughout Israel who believed Jesus was a prophet? That is what many of his followers said as Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day: “This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth in Galilee.” All they could say is that he is like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos or one of the prophets.

That is what all but one of the disciples told Jesus in the 16th chapter of Matthew when He asked them, “Who do the people say that I am?” The best they could say was, “Some say you are Elijah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist or another prophet.” That was as far as their minds could reach. What they said was not wrong, but it was insufficient. Thank God for that one disciple who had a different response. Thank God for Peter who declared: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

That’s the answer to the question in the crowd on that first Palm Sunday. Let me see if I can put my own personal touch on the answer given by Peter. Who is this? He is the Son of God; He is the Architect of the whole of creation; He is the Victor over sin, hell and the grave; He is the second Person of the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is the Wonderful Counselor and the Mighty God of Isaiah; He is the One about whom John the Baptist preached in the wilderness; He is the One whose birthplace in Bethlehem was foretold by Micah; He is the fairest of ten thousand to my soul; He is the Lamb of God whose blood has washed away my sins; and He is the Man they loved on Palm Sunday, condemned, killed and buried on Good Friday, but who got up on Easter with all power in His hands. Who is this? This is Jesus Christ. Who is Jesus to you? Is he healer, a comforter, a protector, a source of strength, someone to lean on, someone to cry to and laugh with, or is he something greater?

Conclusion:

Palm Sunday is more than a day to simply wave palm branches and shout “Hosannas.” Palm Sunday is the day that begins Jesus’ last week on this earth. Jesus chose to spend his last days in a town larger than the ones he was comfortable with because he knew his message needed to be heard in Jerusalem. Palm Sunday is the day when we realize that our heavenly king humbled himself and rode a humble colt in front of people who sought a warrior king because he wanted them to know that with him in their life they had more than enough to face tomorrow. Palm Sunday is the day when we dig deep within ourselves and admit to Jesus that we are ready to be saved: set free from our sins, made new and transformed, and committed to following his ways through all that life throws at us. And Palm Sunday is the day when we look at our Savior as he passes by and ask ourselves, “Who is this?”

During this week, Jesus will reveal himself while in Jerusalem; Jesus will reveal himself to his disciples in an upper room; Jesus will reveal himself in the peaceful garden of Gethsemane as his disciples fall asleep; Jesus will reveal himself before Pontius Pilate and the authorities; and Jesus will reveal himself on the cross when he looks down upon you and says, “Well done my good and faithful servant. It is finished.” Palm Sunday begins the process of Jesus saving us now, but we still need to answer the question, “Who is Jesus?” Who is Jesus to you?

Let us conclude that Jesus is the One about whom the triumphant hymn was written: “All hail the power of Jesus’ name, “Let angels prostrate fall. “Bring forth the royal diadem and “Crown Him Lord of all!” That’s who He is; He is the Lord of all. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. He is the Lord of the past, present and future. He is the Lord of the living and the dead. He is Lord of all! The next time somebody asks you: Who is this?—whether he or she speaks with contempt or amazement—this is what you can tell them: He is Lord. He is Lord. He is risen from the dead, and He is Lord. Every knee shall bow, Every tongue confess, That Jesus Christ is Lord! That is who Jesus is. That is what Palm Sunday reveals: a Jesus that is Lord and who wants to save us.  Wave your palm branches high because today is the beginning of your salvation. Jesus has arrived and I’m glad you weren’t home to miss it. Let it be so…

Closing Prayer:

Let us Pray… Dear Jesus, save us now. As we wave our palm branches and watch you enter our community riding a humble donkey, may we witness who you really are: our heavenly King who has come to save us, love us, and forgive us of our sins. May we spend time this week contemplating who you are in our life so that we are better prepared to witness your full glory when you walk out of the tomb. All honor and glory is yours, now and forever. Amen.

 

Benediction:

Who is Jesus to you? I encourage you this week to place your palm branch somewhere in your house where you will see it every day; and every time you look at it remind yourself who Jesus is to you. Jesus is waiting to enter your community and to save you and guide you to where he needs you to go. Will you let him? May the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord lift up His countenance upon 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 finding ways to wave your palm branch and shout “Hosanna” because his is Lord. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

[1] 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.

[2] We give praise; we wave our palm branches, without knowing the real reason for our praise and waving. Those in Jerusalem, like many of us today, wave our palm branches and shout “Hosanna” because we seek to be physically saved when we actually need to be spiritually saved.

[i] Mark uses the term “immediately” approximately twenty-seven times. Scholars 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.

[ii] The idea of waving palm branches stems from a Jewish family, known as the Maccabees, who in 165BC forced the Greeks out of Jerusalem. When Simon Maccabee, the leader of the family, returned, it was reported that the people took palm branches and waved them in front of him as a sign of victory (Hamilton, 24 Hours That Changed The World, 70). Therefore, as Jesus entered Jerusalem, in a triumphal manner, it was fitting for the Jewish people to give him the same praise as they did to Simon Maccabee because they believed Jesus came to overthrow the Roman government that had seized Jerusalem—to give the people a triumphal victory. The people found their warrior so they waved palm branches and shouted “Hosannas” from the street which translates to “Save us now.”