Palm Sunday

Today, in the Christian calendar, marks Palm Sunday, the day that commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. It is the Sunday when crowds filled the streets, crying out, “Hosanna, Hosanna!”, in fulfilment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9.

All four Gospels record this moment, often referred to as the Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–44; John 12:12–19). This alone signals its theological weight. Something significant is unfolding.

What stands out is the scale and diversity of the crowd. These were people from different regions and backgrounds, drawn not by media, influence, or promotion, but by word of mouth. In a world with no television, radio, or social media, the news that Jesus was in town spread rapidly. His miracles, teachings, and reputation had travelled ahead of Him. The crowd gathered in expectation.
Yet this moment carried tension.

To the people, Jesus appeared as a Redeemer. To the religious authorities, He was a threat. This was the same man who overturned tables in the temple, accusing them of turning God’s house into a den of thieves. To the Roman authorities, any public display of mass support carried political risk. A man entering a city to public acclaim could easily be interpreted as a rival king.

But Jesus did not enter on a war horse. He rode on a donkey. Not a symbol of power, but of humility and peace.

The people laid down palm branches and cloaks before Him, acts of honour and submission. For that moment, the city echoed with praise. Yet within days, the same city would fall silent, then turn.

As the writer Dietrich Bonhoeffer once observed, “The silence of the church is more dangerous than its speech.” Palm Sunday challenges that silence. It forces a question.

What position do we take?
Do we see Jesus as a figure to admire, a teacher to respect, or as Lord to follow? The crowd shouted “Hosanna” when it was easy. The deeper question is whether we remain when it costs something.

According to Open Doors’ The World Watch List, annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution, the top 5 include North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, and Eritrea. Let us remember those today who are laying down their lives for Jesus. The question is what will we lay down and what will we shout?