Palm Sunday

Sunday Reflection – Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025

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Hosanna

Luke 19 28 When Jesus had finished saying all this, he went on toward Jerusalem. 29 As he was getting near Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples on ahead. 30 He told them, “Go into the next village, where you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks why you are doing this, just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”

32 They went off and found everything just as Jesus had said. 33 While they were untying the donkey, its owners asked, “Why are you doing that?”

34 They answered, “The Lord needs it.”

35 Then they led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back and helped Jesus get on. 36 And as he rode along, the people spread clothes on the road in front of him. 37 When Jesus started down the Mount of Olives, his large crowd of disciples were happy and praised God because of all the miracles they had seen. 38  They shouted,

“Blessed is the king who comes
    in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven
    and glory to God.”

39 Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, make your disciples stop shouting!”

40 But Jesus answered, “If they keep quiet, these stones will start shouting.”

Kids Korner: Palms and parades (April 13th)

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Read Luke 19:28-40 with your family.

When people are excited everyone can feel it. That was what it was like when Jesus entered Jerusalem.

For years old people had been telling young people about the promise of a saviour, of a person who would come and free them from the Romans, and make Jerusalem and all the lands ruled by the Hebrews again. They were all waiting.

And they all believed Jesus was that saviour.

The thing is, Jesus was coming to make a different world for them, just not to get rid of the Romans like they hoped. Jesus came to teach them how to live God’s way. That is exciting for all of us.

Sunday Reflection – Palm Sunday, March 24, 2024

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Jesus in Jerusalem

John 12 12 The next day a large crowd was in Jerusalem for Passover. When they heard that Jesus was coming for the festival, 13  they took palm branches and went out to greet him. They shouted,

“Hosanna!
God bless the one who comes
    in the name of the Lord!
God bless the King
    of Israel!”

14 Jesus found a donkey and rode on it, just as the Scriptures say,

15 “People of Jerusalem,
    don’t be afraid!
Your King is now coming,
and he is riding
    on a donkey.”

16 At first, Jesus’ disciples did not understand. But after he had been given his glory, they remembered all this. Everything had happened exactly as the Scriptures said it would.

Kids Korner: Hosanna!! (Mar. 24th)

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Read Mark 11:1-11 with your family.

There are a lot of ideas about who Jesus was 2000 years ago and who he is today. People have ideas about God… some of them about a God who love us, and some of the ideas are that God is always judging us.

Our story of Palm Sunday reminds us that people misunderstood Jesus as Messiah 2000 years ago just like they do today.

The people in Jerusalem were expecting the Messiah to be a king, like King David, who would have armies and huge parades of soldiers. He would be dressed in the richest, most colourful clothing they could find, and when he entered Jerusalem it would be to tell the Romans to get out of Judea and Galilee. The Messiah was supposed to save the people from the Romans and restore the Hebrew people to independent government and no more foreign taxes or soldiers.

However, that was not who Jesus was, and it is understandable that the people who didn’t know Jesus were disappointed.

Instead of riding a big horse like a king, Jesus rode a small donkey. Instead of wearing rich clothes, he looked like everyone else. Instead of a big parade, he had his followers and children waving palm branches walking beside him. And when Jesus came, he did not tell the Romans to get out. Instead he told the leaders in the Temple to smarten up and behave the way God wanted them to behave.

Jesus was not the Messiah they had been expecting.

Sunday Reflection – Palm Sunday, April 2, 2023

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Jesus enters Jerusalem

Matthew 21 When Jesus and his disciples came near Jerusalem, he went to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives and sent two of them on ahead. 2 He told them, “Go into the next village, where you will at once find a donkey and her colt. Untie the two donkeys and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks why you are doing this, just say, ‘The Lord needs them.’ He will at once let you have the donkeys.”

4 So God’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said,

5 “Announce to the people
    of Jerusalem:
‘Your king is coming to you!
He is humble
    and rides on a donkey.
He comes on the colt
    of a donkey.’ ”

6 The disciples left and did what Jesus had told them to do. 7 They brought the donkey and its colt and laid some clothes on their backs. Then Jesus got on.

8 Many people spread clothes in the road, while others put down branches which they had cut from trees. 9  Some people walked ahead of Jesus and others followed behind. They were all shouting,

“Hooray for the Son of David!
God bless the one who comes
    in the name of the Lord.
Hooray for God
    in heaven above!”

10 When Jesus came to Jerusalem, everyone in the city was excited and asked, “Who can this be?”

11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Performed by Margaret Whisselle

Kids Korner: Hosanna, loud hosannas (Palm Sunday, April 2nd)

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Read Matthew 21:1-11 with your family.

Jesus entry into Jerusalem was a celebration and is one of the few places in the Bible where children are active in supporting Jesus.

The word Hosanna means “please help us”. The children in Jerusalem knew the Romans guards were not nice people, and they believed Jesus would get rid of them so that everyone could live in safety and peace. It didn’t work out the way the children and adults around them thought it would, but we can still celebrate Palm Sunday for being a celebration of hope and promise.

Wave branches high, parade around your home and outside, jump on and off the furniture (if you are allowed) and yell “Hosanna”.

Sunday Reflection, Palm Sunday – April 10, 2022

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Jesus Enters Jerusalem

Luke 19 28 When Jesus had finished saying all this, he went on toward Jerusalem. 29 As he was getting near Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples on ahead. 30 He told them, “Go into the next village, where you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks why you are doing this, just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”

32 They went off and found everything just as Jesus had said. 33 While they were untying the donkey, its owners asked, “Why are you doing that?”

34 They answered, “The Lord needs it.”

35 Then they led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back and helped Jesus get on. 36 And as he rode along, the people spread clothes on the road in front of him. 37 When Jesus started down the Mount of Olives, his large crowd of disciples were happy and praised God because of all the miracles they had seen. 38  They shouted,

“Blessed is the king who comes
    in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven
    and glory to God.”

39 Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, make your disciples stop shouting!”

40 But Jesus answered, “If they keep quiet, these stones will start shouting.”

Performed by Margaret Whisselle

Kids Korner: Palm Sunday (April 10th)

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Read Luke 19:28-40 with your family.

Sometimes we have to think about Jesus in opposites, and this story is a good place to start: Everyone was expecting Jesus to enter Jerusalem as a mighty king, Jesus really came as someone humble and did not claim earthy power. A king would enter the city on a horse, Jesus went into Jerusalem on a donkey. A king would have a huge group travelling with him including soldiers, people carrying banners, and maybe musicians, Jesus came into Jerusalem with only some friends and local people with children, carrying palm branches and singing while they danced on the street beside him.

There are a lot of people in the church who keep expecting Jesus to be a King, and have all the fanfare and pageantry around him that humans think is important for Christ the King: parades, banners, guards, people crowding the streets but never allowed to be close. Jesus shows us that he was the opposite of all of that. He wanted people close, especially children. Jesus did not want people treating him like he was a king.

As we follow Jesus we have to remember to always push aside the things our world values, like money and power, and do the things that Jesus values, like helping others and spending time together.