Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the most sacred week in the Christian calendar. It is the day we remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when crowds welcomed Him with palm branches and laid their cloaks on the road before Him, crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:8-9).
It was a moment of celebration, honour and public recognition. Yet it was also a moment filled with deep spiritual meaning, because this King was unlike any other the world had ever seen. Palm Sunday reveals that Jesus is the King who comes in humility before He reigns in glory.
The King who came in humility
According to the Gospels, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy: “See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:4-5; John 12:14-15). He did not come on a war horse, as earthly rulers often did when displaying strength and conquest. He came gently, peacefully and humbly (Matthew 11:29; Philippians 2:7-8).
This is what makes Palm Sunday so powerful. Jesus was, and is, the true King – the Son of God, the promised Messiah – yet He chose the path of humility (John 18:37; Matthew 16:16; Philippians 2:6-8). From His birth in a manger to His ministry of service, compassion and obedience, Jesus consistently revealed a kingdom that looked completely different from the kingdoms of this world (Luke 2:7; Mark 10:45; Hebrews 5:8; John 18:36).
He was not a King who came to dominate, but to save (Luke 19:10; John 3:17). He did not come to demand service, but to serve (Mark 10:45; John 13:4-5). He did not come to take lives, but to lay down His own (John 10:17-18; Isaiah 53:12).
A rare moment of public recognition
Palm Sunday stands out because it is one of the few moments during Jesus’ earthly ministry when He was openly honoured as King. So often, Jesus moved quietly, avoided public spectacle, and withdrew from those who wanted to make Him king on their own terms (John 6:15; Mark 1:44-45). But here, as He entered Jerusalem, the people publicly acknowledged Him (Matthew 21:9; John 12:12-13).
The waving of palm branches and the laying down of cloaks were gestures of honour usually reserved for royalty and victors (2 Kings 9:13). The people recognised that Jesus was no ordinary man. They saw something of His majesty, even if many did not yet fully understand the kind of King He truly was (John 12:16; Luke 19:42).
In many ways, Palm Sunday is a glimpse of the honour Jesus has always deserved. Throughout His life, He received far less recognition than He was worthy of. The Creator entered His creation and was largely rejected (John 1:10-11). The Saviour came to His people and was misunderstood, resisted and ultimately crucified (Isaiah 53:3; John 19:15-16). Yet He remained faithful to His mission (Luke 9:51; Hebrews 12:2).
There were only a few visible moments when people outwardly expressed the reverence He deserved – such as when Mary of Bethany anointed Him with costly oil, when Peter confessed Him as the Christ, or even in bitter irony when Roman soldiers placed a crown on His head in mockery (John 12:3; Mark 14:8-9; Matthew 16:16; Mark 8:29; Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:17).
Palm Sunday is one of those moments when His kingship is declared publicly, even as the shadow of the cross draws near.
The tragedy and beauty of Palm Sunday
There is something deeply moving about Palm Sunday because it holds both joy and sorrow together. Even in this moment of public honour (Luke 19:38-40), Jesus knew the city had not truly understood Him. Luke records that as He approached Jerusalem, He wept over it (Luke 19:41-42).
The crowds shouted “Hosanna,” meaning “save us” or “save, we pray” (Matthew 21:9; Psalm 118:25-26). They celebrated Jesus as He entered the city. But within days, many of those same voices would turn (Matthew 27:22-23; Mark 15:13-14). The city that welcomed Him would reject Him (Luke 23:21; John 19:15). The King who was praised would be condemned (Matthew 27:26; Isaiah 53:3).
This shows the stark difference between the fragility of human loyalty and the unwavering love of Christ (Psalm 118:8-9; Romans 8:38-39). Jesus entered Jerusalem knowing exactly what awaited Him (John 18:4; Matthew 16:21). He knew the cross was coming. He knew the suffering, humiliation and agony that lay ahead (Isaiah 53:4-5; Mark 10:33-34). Yet He still came (Luke 9:51; John 10:17-18).
He did not turn back. He did not abandon His mission (Hebrews 12:2; John 17:4). He pressed on in love, because He came to reconcile us to the Father through His sacrifice (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
Palm Sunday, then, is not only about celebration. It is about the kind of King Jesus is: one who walks humbly and willingly toward suffering in order to redeem His people (Philippians 2:8; Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 1:18-19).
What Palm Sunday means for us today
Palm Sunday is not just a historical event to remember. It is a call to respond.
Jesus still deserves our honour, our worship and our surrender every day — every hour, every moment. He is not only the King the crowds welcomed into Jerusalem; He is the risen King who reigns forever.
The question Palm Sunday places before us is this: how do we receive Him?
Do we welcome Him only when it feels joyful and easy, or do we remain faithful when following Him leads us into sacrifice, obedience and surrender? Do we praise Him with our lips but resist Him in our hearts? Do we truly recognise Him as King?
To call Jesus King means more than admiring Him. It means yielding to Him. It means trusting His ways over our own. It means allowing Him to reign in every area of our lives.
Palm Sunday invites us to lay down more than palm branches. It invites us to lay down our pride, our self-will, our sin and our divided loyalties before the feet of Christ.
Final thoughts: Hosanna to our King
Jesus lived humbly from birth to death. He was born in lowliness, lived in service, and gave Himself in sacrificial love on the cross. Yet He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, worthy of all glory, honour and praise. In a world that prizes status and recognition, may we also learn to follow His example of humility and sacrificial love, surrendering our pride and walking in complete trust, obedience and service to the Father.
Even when the world fails to recognise Him, Jesus is still King. He always has been, and He always will be.
So dear reader, as Holy Week begins, let us not rush past this moment. Let us pause and behold our humble King entering Jerusalem, not to seize an earthly throne, but to win eternal salvation for us through His death and resurrection.
The One who entered Jerusalem in humility is also the One whom God highly exalted, and before whom every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:9-11).
May our hearts cry out with sincere faith: “Hosanna to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.” Have a blessed Palm Sunday!