Palm Sunday 2006
Palm Sunday
John 12:12-24
April 9, 2006
Palm Sunday - Just How Significant Are the Palms?
A little boy was sick on Palm Sunday and stayed home from church with his mother. His father returned from church holding a palm branch. The little boy was curious and asked, "Why do you have that palm branch, dad?" "You see, when Jesus came into town, everyone waved Palm Branches to honor him, so we got Palm Branches today." The little boy replied, " Aw Shucks! The one Sunday I miss is the Sunday that Jesus shows up!"
We begin Holy Week celebrating Christ’s presence in Jerusalem. We have been prepared by the gospel writers to understand the joy of the people greeting Jesus. We are about to see Jesus in the fulfillment of his role as messiah.
Today we observe one of the oldest Christian celebrations, Palm Sunday, practiced publicly in the Church already in the 4th century, once Christianity was legalized. So the Christian church has been observing this day for at least 1700 years. Even this year, crowds of people will proceed from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem, retracing the steps of Jesus. They will retrace the steps Jesus took two-thousand years ago. But the entry into Jerusalem is not properly understood without remembering the Passion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They are inseparably united in the salvation history of our Lord. According to St. Matthew, what begins as Christ’s victorious entrance into Jerusalem quickly turns to the Passion of Christ.
Today we remember Palm Sunday and our Lord’s triumphant entry. When the people welcomed Him as their king, as he road the donkey, they shouted their hosannas, laid their garments as a highway before Him and waved palm branches in the air to celebrate His entry. What about the palms, why did they use them, what is there significance, after all we call this day – Palm Sunday. Palms used on this day have a rich scriptural and liturgical history.
One of the first times palms are mentioned in Scripture is following the Day of Atonement. On the Day of Atonement the people of Israel recognized their own sin with a 24 hour fast. And the High Priest would make blood sacrifices for the sin of the people. He would bring two goats into the presence of the Lord, one would be sacrificed, the other would have the sins of the people spoken over it and carrying their sin, it would be driven into the desert. Five days after this ritual, the people celebrated the Festival of Booths where the Jews celebrated their deliverance from their bondage in Egypt. They remembered that God sustained them as they lived in tents for forty years. As part of their remembrance and celebration God commanded the Israelites to 'take the foliage of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days" (Leviticus 23:40). Therefore, Palms are associated with redemption – the forgiveness of sins, deliverance and God’s abiding presence, and rejoicing.
Interestingly, Jericho, the mighty city which stood in the way of Israel entering the Promised Land, was a "city of palms." Palms therefore reminded God's people of their enemies, too great for them to overcome, but delivered into their hands, defeated and destroyed by the Lord Himself. Therefore, palms are associated with victory and peace following the defeat of all our enemies.
'When God gave instructions on how to build the temple, palm trees were included. "It was carved with cherubim and palm trees; and a palm tree was between cherub and cherub, and every cherub had two faces, a man's face toward the palm tree on one side, and a young lion's face toward the palm tree on the other side" (Ezekiel 41:18-19). Palms here are signs of God's saving presence among His people.
When King Solomon built his palace (which took 13 years) again palm trees were carved into the walls and doors. So, Palms here are associated with the King of kings.
When St. John was given a vision of heaven, palm branches were included there as well. "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands" (Revelation 7:9). We can see that, Palms are associated with the eternal celebration of the Lamb's victory and the abundant, eternal, heavenly life and peace, that are already ours through Jesus Christ.
And, of course, palm branches were laid in Christ's path as the King of kings, "in Whom all the fullness of the godhead dwelt bodily," as He entered Jerusalem to be crucified in atonement for the sins of the world, thereby opening the windows of heaven so that the Father's goodness, grace, and favor might be showered down on all the baptized.
The use of palms calls all this to mind for you -- your atonement in Christ's Blood That is that God dent His son to deliver you from sin, death and the power of the Devil. He became the goat or lamb of God that was sacrificed for your sin. He became your scapegoat, with your sins lad upon His head He was driven away from God’s presence. The Palms represent God's presence in your lives as you journey through the desert of this life before you enter into the promised land of heaven. The palms remind you of God’s abundance given to you, for, “He who did not spare His own Son, will He not also give you all things.”, The palms symbolize the peace that God has given us as He has defeated of all our enemies, and gives new and abundant life for those who are baptized and believe in Jesus Christ. Is this not enough for us to shout to and wave our palms in praise of God and His Son our Savior? Rejoice and be glad, your redemption comes! Raise your voices with me…Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!!!
It is of course easier for the children of the congregation to raise the palm branch in the Palm Sunday service than it is for each of us to carry the suffering, the cross, and death of Christ in our own life and vocation. For this reason another long standing custom has been to place the palm branches over a crucifix or picture in the home until they are gathered and burned to make the ashes for the Ash Wednesday service in the following year. This way, our voices of praise begin to lead us anew into repentance and understanding of why Jesus must die so that we can live.
Placed in the home, a simple palm branch can be a daily reminder that Christ has atoned for you, that Jesus brings you into God's presence, that Jesus gives you His peace, joy, and deliverance, that through Him, not one of your enemies can overcome you. For your life is life in Christ, the King who rules the world and conquers it, even as He is crucified, in order that- everyone who believes in Him shall never perish but have everlasting life! Palms in the home can also serve as a daily reminder of how quickly the people's shouts of "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord" changed to "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!", for how quickly we, too, reject Christ when it is unpopular or in some way costly to confess Him.
As we carry these palms home it is fitting that we remember our Lord Jesus Christ will keep each of us in the saving faith each day as His holy, precious Blood cleanses us, the Christian Church, year after year for all eternity, as we live in Him who is Life and Peace!
May the palm branches of Palm Sunday be a reminder of these things to all our children and to each adult as we pass once more the way of sorrows to the empty tomb when we shall confess with all the Church throughout the world and into all eternity: He is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!