Palm Sunday Sets Holy Week in Motion
Palm Sunday may be named such because the residents of Jerusalem threw palm branches in the roadway as Jesus rode through the town on a donkey. Jesus knew what lay ahead of him that week, but He wanted to have it start with joyfulness even as He looked at His impending death later that week. He wanted all of His followers to have a sense of hope to lean on come Friday as He dies on the middle cross.
We celebrate Palm Sunday as a day of victory and joy even though redemption had not happened yet. Palm Sunday is marked with Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Hundreds of people were lining the street He entered. They were waving their hands filled with palm branches. They were excited and shouted praise and joy to their King. Even Jesus’ disciples did not know what the week would hold and how it was going to end.
Jesus Had Plans for Holy Week
Jesus did not want His followers or his disciples to know it all because He knew they would not understand. That is why Holy Week is such an important week. Jesus had plans for each day to teach His disciples things that would help them understand the difficulties, the pain and the sorrow they would soon be experiencing. Every day Jesus had unique inspiration to teach his disciples parables, stories and allude to happenings later in the week. He wanted more than anything to ease their pain and enable them to understand for this reason He came to earth and for this reason He chose each of His 12 disciples to be prepared to go into all the world with the good news of Salvation.
Jesus was, without a doubt, inspired and guided by His Heavenly Father each day with the words that would best teach not only the 12 disciples but His other followers as well. Those same teachings bear guidance for us today as well as we walk through our lives.
My Recollections of Holy Week from my Father
My dad passed away 2006 but he left me a wealth of wisdom. Still today I keenly remember the Bible Studies he would hold each night through Holy week and examine the footsteps of our Savior each day. After the short Bible Study, we would all have a time of prayer. As a child, it made such an impression on me that still today, I commemorate the week with daily readings even though I may not be as regular on other days or weeks.
Each one of the Books of the Gospel, Matthew, Mark Luke and John, have accounts of the happenings in Holy Week and my dad used to compare the accounts in his Bible Studies. There is a reason that each of these Apostles wrote an account of these seven days. Even though they did not understand everything Jesus was trying to tell them, they knew it had significance for them as well as for those coming behind them.
I will also cherish my memories of those Bible Studies my dad gave each night on many if not all of his pastorates. It created an awe of this week and the significance of it then for those 12 disciples and today for us.
Let’s bow our heads in thankfulness for the great teachings He left us as He faced death on the cross for our sins.