What's in a palm?

Did you know that a palm branch, like the ones we waved around today for Palm Sunday, are symbolic for "victory?"

In the process of working through my Sunday School lesson this week and the lovely sermon given by our pastor (Rev. Steve) I've come to look and maybe understand this day a bit better....here is what I've been mulling around:

The story goes that the people from long ago (that is those alive when Christ was) were looking for a king to come in victoriously to concur and save them from the Roman Empire.  Now they expected a military king.  A king riding in royal garb on a big beautiful horse with guards and militia who would overthrow the empire and set them free.  Did you also know that the word "Hosanna" is translated into "save us now."  A very likely thing for them to say and expect with their understanding of the type of "king" that Christ was to be.

Now the King of Kings did not ride in to overthrow the Roman Empire and neither did He ride in on a gallant horse with militia.  No, no, no....this King came in plainly colored cloth, likely barefoot, and rode in on a donkey he borrowed (he didn't even own it).  A less observant follower might have missed his entrance.

In our Sunday School class today we engaged in the humor of this scene......what do you think the people with the palm "victory" branches thought as Christ came in riding a donkey?  I imagine some of them probably thought "this is the guy that is going to save us from the empire....how?"  They might also have been wondering "how is this guy going to save us "Hosanna"?  I don't doubt that all these things crossed their minds...I mean we are human right and Jesus' entrance had been built up for hundreds of year in the early scriptures to be a victorious King........

I also found it interesting to learn that riding in on a horse is symbolic for a "concurring hero", whereas riding in on a donkey is symbolic for "coming in peace."  Now, isn't that just like our Jesus...the servant - He did not come to rule and have authority over all, but to serve.  What better message to take out of today than that!

We know Jesus is victorious and does save us all, but not in the way we (as humans) expected.  I assume this is still true today and only when we are with our Heavenly Father will we truly understand what God intended by sending a King to serve rather than rule.

Happy Palm Sunday and welcome to Holy Week!