My mother came from a devoutly religious background, and she instilled that tradition of devotion into her children. In my childhood the week leading up to Easter Sunday always became a time for quiet inner reflection as we pondered upon the the Savior's earthy ministry.
This weekend, in churches worldwide, faithful Christians will celebrate Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week. It marks the last week of Lent, and commemorates the final week of Jesus' earthly life. Falling the week prior to Easter, the faithful remember the Savior's triumphal entry into Jerusalem only days before his arrest and crucifixion — an event recorded in all four New Testament Gospels.
According to John 11, Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead in the small town of Bethany. Jesus and his disciples returned to Bethany and Bethphage, slightly east of the Mount of Olives. He sent two of them ahead to a nearby village with instructions to fetch a donkey's colt. The disciples did as the Master requested and returned with the young animal. After the disciples had placed some of their clothes upon its back, The Savior mounted the colt and rode into the city.
"All this was done," states Matthew (21:4-5), "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass." "And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way" (Matthew 21:8).
"And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest" (Luke 19:37-38). "Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest" (Mark 11:10).
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