The churches faithfully observe ‘Palm Sunday’ the Sunday prior to Easter each year; however, the bible never mentions the phrase ‘Palm Sunday’. Palm Sunday is also known as Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem and this entry into Jerusalem is mentioned in all four gospels. Did you wonder why they were waving Palm branches?
Reflected below is John’s version of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Notice he mentions there was a feast ongoing twice in his account of what occurred. There is no feast in the laws of Moses mentioned that was one week prior to Passover or resurrection day that some call Easter.
“The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast [G1859 heorté; feast, holy day, often used in the context of the three major feasts] heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt! His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” Now among those who went up to worship at the feast [G1859 heorté; feast, holy day, often used in the context of the three major feasts] were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” ESV Joh 12:12-23
Here is Matthew’s account of Jesus Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem. Mark and Luke’s wrote the account almost identical to Matthew’s.
“Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” ESV Mat 21:1-11
So all four gospels reflect the donkey, the cut branches from trees, and ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’.
Jesus Christ Came to Fulfill Law
Jesus told us he came to fulfill or execute the law.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill [G4137 plēroō; satisfy, execute] them” ESV Mat 5:17
Jesus also said that everything written about him in the Laws of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms will be fulfilled meaning executed:
“Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled [G4137 plēroō; satisfy, execute].” ESV Luke 24:44
Jesus fulfilled many laws, prophecies and psalms when he was here and he will fulfill the rest when he returns.
Jesus Christ’s Fulfilled the Law, Prophets & Psalms
They story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem tells us the history of what happened that day and that he did fulfill the law. When Jesus was here, he was required to attend the Feast of Tabernacles, just as all other Israelites were since it was ordained by God.
“Three times in the year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord shall choose in the feast [G1859 heortē; a festival, feast, periodically recurring] of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: thou shalt not appear before the Lord thy God empty.” LXX Deu 16:16 (see verse Strong's numbers)
The Feast of Tabernacles does require there be branches of palm trees and thick boughs of trees which the Gospel accounts to mention being present. This is the only feast that requires branches of palms trees and thick boughs of trees. This law is perpetual, meaning forever.
“And on the fifteenth day of this seventh month, when ye shall have completely gathered in the fruits of the earth, ye shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days; on the first day there shall be a rest, and on the eighth day a rest. And on the first day ye shall take goodly fruit of trees, and branches of palm trees, and thick boughs of trees, and willows, and branches of osiers from the brook, to rejoice before the Lord your God seven days in the year. It is a perpetual statute for your generations: in the seventh month ye shall keep it. Seven days ye shall dwell in tabernacles: every native in Israel shall dwell in tents, that your posterity may see, that I made the children of Israel to dwell in tents, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” LXX Lev 23:39-43
The Israelites fulfilled this verse in psalms during the Feast of Tabernacles that day:
“O Lord, save now: O Lord, send now prosperity. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. God is the Lord, and he has shined upon us: celebrate the feast [G1859 heortē; a festival, feast, periodically recurring] with thick branches, binding the victims even to the horns of the altar.” LXX Psa 118:25-27
Jesus fulfilled this prophecy when he arrived at the feast on a donkey that is also known as an ass:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion; proclaim it aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, the King is coming to thee, just, and a Saviour; he is meek and riding on an ass, and a young foal.” LXX Zec 9:9
Conclusion
There are no feasts between the first day of the month feast and Passover according to the Laws of Moses; therefore there is no Palm Sunday. The ancient Israelites would only know a king who fulfilled the laws of Moses. They were expecting Jesus Christ their Savior. There was Israelites who knew who he was and he was expected at the Feast of Tabernacles. I have thought Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was at the Feast of Tabernacles for some time now and I recently noticed that my Genva bible reflects Jesus’ entry was on the Feast of Tabernacles.
“Now I do not know when the churches changed Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem from the fall Feast of Tabernacles to the springtime Palm Sunday, a week before resurrection day but somehow they did. I am sure the enemy sowed these seeds though.
“He [Jesus] put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.” ESV Mat 13:24-28
Source
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jollain_Jesu_Einzug_in_Jerusalem.JPG
Also see these articles about the Feast of Tabernacles:
https://kingdomhereamerica.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-christian-feast-of-tabernacles.html
https://kingdomhereamerica.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-christian-thanksgiving-tradition.html
