The In My Dorm Writing Space

Key Passages:

“Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and branches of trees with thick branches and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭23‬:‭40‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

“Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. Now the crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭21‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they *cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.””

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

“Then they hurried, and each man took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!””

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭9‬:‭13‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

In the Old Testament, specifically in Leviticus 23:40, the standard use for palm branches was commanded. In times of celebration, especially for a king or a person of high stature, the people would take up palm branches and wave them as a sign of joy, victory, and recognition of a new king. In Leviticus, they were used as a sign of praise.Then, in the New Testament, within John the Revelator’s visions, we see a return to the use of palm branches for a similar purpose. In Revelation 7:9, “all people…with palm branches in their hands” are declaring that salvation belongs to the Lord and to the Lamb. Essentially, they are again declaring praise and victory unto the Lord. So, it is abundantly clear that the typical use of palm branches was to take them up, presumably wave them, and declare praise to the Lord or to a king. To reiterate, praise and victory were embedded in the action of using palm branches. Of course, the branches themselves were not the emotions or declarations, but their use would not have been without praise and declarations of victory.

In total, there are three separate mentions of palm branches in Scripture (all listed above). It is reasonable to assume that, throughout the time in which Scripture was written, the instances in Leviticus and Revelation were not the only historical uses. Most likely, this was a semi-common practice used to convey praise and joy. However, what is less common in Scripture is the use of palm branches that we see in Matthew 21:8. Matthew records that branches were cut and laid on the ground along with cloaks for Jesus to ride over. This presents a noticeable contrast compared to the other uses of palm branches. Especially considering that many of the people laying down the branches would have been familiar with their typical use from Leviticus due to their Jewish background. So, if we recognize this contrast and understand the symbolic nature of palm branches, what does that reveal about Palm Sunday and the greater picture of Jesus? Furthermore, what does that reveal to us as we attempt to understand Palm Sunday and its events? Does it infringe on our typical cultural understanding of Palm Sunday? We sing joyous songs, saying the same things as those who said “Hossana in the highest,” but possibly saying it in a completely different fashion and tone? In attempt to answer some of these questions, I will focus on two main pieces. The first focusing on what difference does it make that Jews laid their palm branches down. The second will focus on what implications does the first assertion alter how the Jews said “Hosanna” as Jesus rode in on a Donkey. But, as it is the nature of the discussion, they will be interwoven for ease of understanding.

To recap, in two out of the three total mentions of palm branches, they were used—by waving—to symbolize joy, victory, and praise. As we think of Palm Sunday, we often, largely due to culture, view it as almost exclusively embodying joy, victory, and praise. To understand the remainder of this reflection, it is critical that we first establish the general, typical context of the Palm Sunday situation. The Jews responded to the sight of Jesus riding in on a donkey by shouting, “Hosanna, Hosanna!” They were excited to see a new authority in town—a person they believed was coming to end governmental oppression and Roman imperialism. They laid down coats and palm branches for Jesus to ride on as He entered the city, continuing to cry out “Hosanna,” acknowledging that He came in the name of the Lord and as a descendant of David. But then, after riding in humbly on a donkey, the Jews turned from Him. After realizing that His intent was not to end governmental oppression nor take immediate kingship, they became angered, ultimately leading to the Cross. The most commonly held view is that after Palm Sunday, there was a kind of psychological shift among the Jewish people. This was due to several factors, but largely because Jesus did not meet their expectations of His supposed purpose. To rewind and refocus, why did they initially lay down palm branches for the donkey to tread on? If the context of Palm Sunday was primarily proclamations of joy and victory, why did they lay the branches down at all? Would they not have waved them, as the Israelites did in Leviticus 23:40?

From these questions, a set of possibilities arises that share common themes. It is possible that as they shouted “Hosanna,” which means “save us,” their cries came from a place of desperation rather than exclusively from joy and celebration. As they shouted “Hosanna,” perhaps they laid down their palm branches and coats as a symbolic act—almost as if to say, “I have no victory left, and I need You.”

If this is the case, we encounter a point of cultural tension. As stated before, the current understanding of Palm Sunday and the events leading to the Cross is that a psychological shift occurred among the Jewish people, which in turn led to cries of “Crucify Him.” But what if there is another possibility? Let’s consider it. The Jewish people were anticipating a politically active Messiah—one who would free them from oppression and act with visible power. So, as they shouted “Hosanna,” their intent may not have been centered on salvation or justification, but rather on liberation from governmental oppression. In this sense, their cry of “Hosanna” came from a place of desperation—but a desperation rooted in a misunderstanding of Jesus’ true purpose. They cried out from the weight of political oppression rather than from the reality of eternal need. If this idea holds, it may further explain why they laid down the palm branches. Placing hope in governmental liberation offers no eternal promise. If their cries had been rooted in a longing for eternal salvation, perhaps they would have waved the branches as a sign of victory already secured. Instead, they placed them down before Christ and cried out from desperation—but a desperation anchored in the wrong expectation. Following this event, Jesus continues in humility and lowliness, likely deepening their confusion and dissatisfaction. That dissatisfaction ultimately contributes to the path that leads Him to the Cross.

Before concluding, there is one more important piece of the puzzle that must be considered when reflecting on Palm Sunday: the garments laid down alongside the palm branches. As with the palm branches, we also find Old Testament references to the practice of laying down garments for a king. Namely, in 2 Kings 9:13, we see the Israelites laying down their garments for King Jehu while proclaiming, “Jehu is king!” In that context, they clearly laid down their garments in an excited and honor-giving way. So, what does this tell us about Palm Sunday? It could suggest a few things. One interpretation, which leans more toward my argument, is that the Jews may have been laying down their garments as a way of recognizing a new king, just as was done for Jehu. This would align with their perception that Jesus was coming with the intent to change the government. On the other hand, it could indicate that there was a genuine sense of celebration, excitement, and honor being expressed. In this view, the use of palm branches alongside garments would collectively communicate, “Hosanna in the highest,” in a purely joyful and celebratory way. However, what seems most reasonable to me is the presence of an emotional balance. As humans, we often experience multiple emotions at once. We can feel happy while also being anxious; we can laugh while still feeling weighed down. In the same way, perhaps the people were both desperate and hopeful—feeling as though hope was nearly gone, yet still excited at the arrival of someone they believed to be a new king worthy of honor. With all of this considered, I am confident in this conclusion: their desperation, hope, joy, sadness, grief, anger, and excitement were all rooted in an expectation of Jesus that did not align with the reality of who He is.

My objective is not to reconstruct Palm Sunday or assert a new definitive interpretation. But even if Palm Sunday unfolded as described, with a melting pot of emotions, likely including large senses of hopelessness and desperation, while also having joy and gladness; there is still profound hope found in Scripture. The third mention of palm branches appears in Revelation 7:9, where John recounts a great multitude. And here, the image shines as a kind of “perfect Palm Sunday.” Instead of laying down hope, victory, and joy—symbolized by palm branches—while asking for deliverance from temporary oppression, every nation stands waving palm branches and crying out, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” So perhaps John’s revelation, given by Christ, presents a picture of perfect hope, victory, desperation, and joy—all rightly placed in Him—and in doing so, serves as a contrast to Palm Sunday as it was first experienced.