Palm Sunday

On this day, we remember the day of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the first day of Passion Week, so named because it was the week that ended with Christ’s suffering and death on the cross. Passion Week began with Christ’s triumphal entry on Sunday and ended with His terrible exit on Friday.

Worshiping Jesus

March 28, 2021 | Mark 11:1-11 | palm Sunday

Did you know that your response to Jesus is the most important decision you’ll ever make? Some of you have grown up going to church, and you learned how to respond to Jesus from their teaching. Or maybe your parents taught you how to respond to Jesus, so your response to Him is based on theirs. Others may have grown up in a home that didn’t attend church. You know about Jesus, but you’re not sure how to respond to Him. Your opinions may have been formed by Hollywood, or social media, or what your friends and family say about Him.

Regardless of your background, it’s important to make a personal and well-considered decision about your response to Jesus for your self. You can follow the crowd, but crowds are fickle. Why not make a decision based on the witness of the Scriptures concerning Jesus and the testimony of those who follow Jesus?

Recognizing Christ’s Visitation

April 14, 2019 | Luke 19:28-44 | palm Sunday

When Jesus visited Jerusalem on that day, it was the first day of Passover Week. Great numbers of Jews had traveled from all over the Roman Empire to celebrate this annual Jewish festival. A great crowd greeted Jesus as he entered Jerusalem responding to him with chanting, throwing their cloaks on the ground before him and waving of palm branches. They greeted him in a manner befitting a king, but before the week was out, the crowd would curse him as a criminal.
Jesus called his visit to Jerusalem that day a “visitation.” In the Greek, it has the sense of a formal visit or inspection by a dignitary. In English, the word “visitation” has the same meaning. On Palm Sunday we remember the visitation of the Son of God to Jerusalem.

In the gospel according to Luke, Jesus expressed His desire that the people of Jerusalem would have recognized His visitation to them as the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God. We can recognize Christ’s visitation to us.

Rightly Responding to Jesus

March 25, 2018 | John 12:12-19 | palm Sunday

When Jesus made his entrance on that day, it was the first day of Passover Week. Great numbers of Jews had traveled from all over the Roman Empire to celebrate this annual Jewish festival. A great crowd greeted Jesus as he entered Jerusalem responding to him with chanting and waving of palm branches. They greeted him in a manner befitting a king, but before the week was out, the crowd would curse him as a criminal.

Did you know that your response to Jesus is the most important decision you’ll ever make? You can follow the crowd, or you can make a decision based on the witness of the Scriptures and of those who follow Jesus, or you can make decision based on what the crowd says. But be sure of this: There is a right way and a wrong way to respond to Jesus, and how you respond makes all the difference in the world, and in eternity.

In the gospel according to John, John wrote about how the people responded to Jesus as He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the first day of passion week. We can rightly respond to Jesus as we consider how He fulfilled what was written about Him.