Palm Sunday - Why did the crowds turn against Jesus so quickly? One week they welcomed Him, and the next week they demanded He be crucified.

Today is Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, marks the beginning of Holy Week. This is a time when Christian’s all over the world will commemorate events that took place in the last days of Jesus’ life on Earth.

The events of Palm Sunday fulfilled a prophecy spoken over 450 years earlier, found in Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey.”


Matthew 21:7-9 records the fulfillment of that prophecy: "They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!"

Today, Christians around the world will celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (which we usually call "Palm Sunday," because the crowd welcomed Him by spreading palm branches in His path). Those who greeted Him were convinced He was the Messiah (or "anointed one"), sent by God to establish His Kingdom on earth. The Bible says they shouted, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Matthew 21:9).


But not everyone in Jerusalem welcomed Him; the very next verse says that "the whole city was stirred and asked, 'Who is this?'" In other words, those who welcomed Him were His disciples—but large numbers of people were still debating who He was. Some of them (but not His disciples) later demanded His death.

Where would you have been on that first Palm Sunday? Among the disciples who welcomed Him—or among the skeptical crowds? You cannot remain neutral about Jesus. He came for one reason: "Christ died for sins once for all ... to bring you to God" (1 Peter 3:18). Make your decision for Christ today.

So, today, remember you have a choice to make as well. Have a blessed Holy Week.

All the best...

Mary Eason