Episode Details

Scripture - Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-14, Luke 19:28-44, John 12:12-19, Psalm 118, Zechariah 9:9, Galatians 5:22-23

We explore Palm Sunday – the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to shouts of hosanna. It was the 10th day of Nissan on the Jewish calendar. The day when the Passover lambs were herded in and prepared for sacrifice in Jerusalem at the temple.

Palm Sunday on Nisan 10 - recorded in these gospels: Matthew 21:1–11 Mark 11:1-11 Luke 19:28-44 John 12:12-19

There are two dates that could be the date of the first Palm Sunday. Those dates are April 3, 30 A.D. or March 29, 33 A.D. 

Jesus rides in on an unbroken donkey – one never before ridden on. This is biblically significant – a young animal, never previously ridden on was an animal that could be offered in a sacrifice as a gift to God. Jesus rides in on such an animal.

All donkeys across the world have the same markings on their backs. It is a long dark stripe that runs along their spine, along the center of their backs and another stripe that runs across from shoulder to shoulder, forming the sign of a cross. Every donkey carries a cross on its back.

When Jesus rode on the donkey into the city of Jerusalem, he was sitting on a cross.

in Zachariah 9:9 we read, “rejoice greatly, daughter, Zion! Shout, daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt the foal of a donkey. “

Jesus fulfill this prophetic word from Zachariah as he enters Jerusalem as a king riding on a donkey coming in peace and offering hope. “Hope for the nations.” (more on this in the coming next weeks.)

As Jesus enters Jerusalem on the donkey – it is possible that there were as many as 2.5–3 million people there for the Passover based on ancient writings of Josephus and the rabbis. 

The crowds are shouting “hosanna!“ Hosanna means “Lord, save us!“. This is an acknowledgment by the crowd that Jesus is the Messiah. The crowd knew who he was, and this hugely angered the chief priest, upsetting the status quo. BUT it also inaugurates the greatest life anyone can experience and that is a relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ. 

Palm Sunday Nissan 10 - order of events:

Palm Sunday branches John 12:13 Pharisees object Luke 19:39-40 Jesus weeps Luke 19:41-44 Lazarus crowd John 12:17–19 Return to Bethany. Mark 11:11

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, it is with a heavy heart because he knows what lies had; rejection by the religious authorities, the future for his disciples and believers and for Jerusalem. He knew that many would not receive him for who he is. The Messiah. 

The story of Jesus going “up to Jerusalem“ continues on Monday morning Nissan 11 – the next day after Palm Sunday with the story of the cursing of the fig tree. 

The fig tree – they shed their leaves in November – new leaves in late March  – paggim (early fruit)on branches in March – paggim come out early in spring. They come first before the figs. – Jesus finds no paggim -summer figs – August – October.

Jesus recognizes that not finding the paggim is more than just a biological event – this is prophetic. Fig trees are the symbol of the nation of Israel. Figs are symbolic of the people of Israel.

Jesus is hungry and the tree that should’ve been producing fruit had nothing on it. This is symbolic of the nation of Israel - so many were religious, but there is not spiritual fruit. Jesus curses the fig tree because God desires fruit. This speaks to those then and to us today. We are called to bear fruit. It says Galatians 5:22-23 “but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.“

These are what God does in the hearts of all who believe. If fruit is not there, it is a warning and a sign that calls us back to him in repentance. We don’t want to just “look good” we