"They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!”"
So the church celebrates "Palm Sunday" every year, marking the ironically triumphal entry into Jerusalem of Jesus as Messiah, days before a mob forces his execution. Palm branches seem appropriate, but what gets lifted up later is a cross. The Psalmist and Prophet give us signs of the King's character as John narrates this moment in 12:12-16.
How do we handle palm branches in one hand,
and a cross in the other?
How do follow the King who rides into town,
not on a big war horse,
but on a gentle donkey?
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