Holy Week - Journey to the Ultimate Overcomer: Palm Sunday

By Shelsea Becker

Palm Sunday - Green, Triumph and New Life

They took palm branches and went out to meet Him.They did this after they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. But do you know where they were when they heard this?

A festival.

They had pilgrimaged to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. This wasn’t casual. This was intentional. They would have traveled from all over, arriving early because they were required to be cleansed before Passover.

And yet…

When they heard He was coming, they went out to meet Him.

That tells me a few things. First, if they came from all over and responded like that, then His name and His reputation had already traveled. Scripture tells us a good reputation is worth something… and clearly, His was. Second, they came for one reason, but made way for something they didn’t even realize they needed.

They came to celebrate Passover, the remembrance of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt… physical freedom from captivity.

But Jesus…

Jesus was about to give them spiritual freedom, the kind that has no expiration date. The kind that is eternal.

Now you know I’m the kind of person who starts asking questions and goes digging…

And here’s where it gets fun. Did you know the color associated with Palm Sunday is green?

Green represents:

• New life

• Fresh beginnings

• Triumph

  
  

Triumph. Wow. Just wow. Because what’s happening here? Jesus is riding in…and He is about to overcome death itself. And they are welcoming Him during Passover, a celebration centered around the lamb that was slain, whose blood was placed over the doorposts so death would pass over. And now…

The Lamb.

The final Lamb.

Is entering the city.

No more temporary sacrifice.

No more repeating the process.

He was about to be the once-and-for-all sacrifice.

And those palm branches? They weren’t random. Palm branches represented victory. They were used in victory celebrations after military triumphs. So while they were waving them…

They were declaring victory—

before they even understood what kind of victory was coming. And then there’s the word they shouted: Hosanna. Which means:“Lord, save us.”

Palm branches. Hosanna.

Both acts of worship.

Now stay with me… because this is where it gets double cool.

Green.

Emerald.

Same color family.

So naturally, I’m like… okay Lord, what are You saying? Back in the Old Testament, the High Priest wore a breastpiece. On it were 12 stones—four rows, three across. Each stone represented one of the 12 tribes of Israel, and each tribe’s name was engraved on its stone.

The emerald stone?

It was assigned to Judah.

JUDAH.

Hello!!

Jesus comes from the line of Judah… and Judah means praise. So on Palm Sunday:

They are waving symbols of victory

They are crying out “save us”

They are surrounded by green—new life, triumph

And the One riding in?

Is from the tribe of Praise

I absolutely geek out when the Old Testament and the New Testament come together like this. Not just as history… but as a living, breathing, connected story.

So the next time you see green…Let it stop you for a second. Let it remind you: The Lamb has come. The victory is won. And we are living in the reality of a freedom that will never expire. 

Love,

Shelsea

Scripture references in order:

• John 12:12,13

• Proverbs 22:1

• Exodus 12 (the whole chapter!)

• John 1:29 

• 1 Corinthians 5:7

• 1 Peter 1:18-19

• Exodus 28: 17-21 

• Hebrews 7:14