What is Palm Sunday?

Palm Sunday commemorates the day that Jesus entered into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. The people cut down branches from nearby trees and laid them on the road as he entered. It is assumed that the branches were from palm trees, probably because palms are a common tree in the regions around Jerusalem. Jericho, for example, is known as the city of palms. The people also placed robes on the pathway before Jesus. This event is recorded in Matthew 21:7-9" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 21:7-9

"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!’

This Triumphal Entry is one of the events in Jesus’ life that was prophesied in the Old Testament in the book of Zechariah 9:9" TARGET="_blank">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, A colt, the foal of a donkey”

Another significant fulfillment of prophecy regarding the triumphal entry of Palm Sunday can be seen in the prophecies in the book of Daniel. Daniel chapter 9 specifies 70 weeks, which are “weeks” of years or 70 groups of 7 years. There were 69 weeks of years between the edict to rebuild Jerusalem and the day that Christ entered into Jerusalem. The 70th week of Daniel is yet future and will be fulfilled during the great tribulation. You can read a detailed description of this 69th week and the calculations of the historic dates in the book “The Coming Prince” by Sir Robert Anderson. You can also read about the 70th week of Daniel in the book “The Future”.

Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times

Daniel 9:25." TARGET="_blank">Daniel 9:25.

Just a few days later on the Friday of the crucifixion of Jesus, the crowd had a very different desire – “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” they shouted when Pilate the governor asked what should be done with Jesus who is called Christ.

Palm Sunday Calendar Dates

April 17, 2011
April 1, 2012
March 24, 2013
April 13, 2014
March 29, 2015

Other pages in this section

About this site

Where was our Lord Jesus Christ between His death and resurrection?

CHRIST BETWEEN DEATH AND iESURRECTION
Where was our Lord Jesus Christ between His death and resurrection?

His body, as all four Gospels agree, was in Joseph’s new tomb; His soul, according to Acts 2: 27," TARGET="_blank">Acts 2: 27, 31 (with Psalm 16:10)," TARGET="_blank">Psalm 16:10), was in Hell (Greek = Hades; Hebrew = Sheol), a place or rather state, the significance of which in the Scriptures is much wider than in our present-day usage of that word.

The Revisers of the KJV, in their preface to the Old Testament, say that it means “the place of departed spirits,” and they warn the reader that although, in such passages as Genesis 37:35," TARGET="_blank">Genesis 37:35, they have left in the text the A.V. “grave,” yet it does not signify “the place of burial.”

Jacob (Genesis 37:35;" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 37:35; Genesis 42:38)" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 42:38) expected to go there at death; Job (Job 14:13-15)" TARGET="_blank">Job 14:13-15) requested that God would hide him there until the time of resurrection would come; whilst in other passages (such as Psalm 9:17;" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 9:17; Job 24:19," TARGET="_blank">Job 24:19, etc.) it is looked on as the portion of the wicked dead. We must therefore conceive of Hell as comprising two distinct regions or conditions, separated according to Luke 16:26" TARGET="_blank">Luke 16:26 by an impassable gulf, the one containing the souls of the righteous, and the other the souls of the unrighteous. Probably it is the latter which is spoken of as “the lowest hell” in Deuteronomy 32:22" TARGET="_blank">Deuteronomy 32:22 and Psa. 86:13; and doubtless it is the former which is called “Paradise” by our Lord in Luke 23. 43," TARGET="_blank">Luke 23. 43, when He said to the repentant and believing thief, “To-day, thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23" TARGET="_blank">Luke 23:
This last statement, taken with Acts 2:27," TARGET="_blank">Acts 2:27,31 shows that the Scriptural reply to our question, so far as the soul of the Lord Jesus is concerned, is that between death and resurrection He was in the region of Hell called Paradise, in which were also the souls of all saints who had died previously.

W.R.

Other pages in this section

About this site

Must discipleship be "radical"?

Must discipleship be "radical"?

Yes. The world, the flesh, and the devil unitedly oppose total commitment to Christ. Devotion that consistently follows Christ, learns of Him, and produces likeness to Him must be all or nothing. Mary’s alabaster box of spikenard was broken; no part of its precious contents could be retained for any other use (Mark 14:3)." TARGET="_blank">Mark 14:3). "Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:33)." TARGET="_blank">Luke 14:33). On at least two other occasions, Luke points out that discipleship involves "forsaking all" (Luke 5:11;" TARGET="_blank">Luke 5:11; Luke 18:28)." TARGET="_blank">Luke 18:28). Discipleship is immediate, total submission to Christ. Anything less robs the Lord of deserved honor and produces partial obedience at best.

Consider, however, Paul’s charging the Thessalonians to be occupied with their job, work diligently, and provide for their necessities (1 Thessalonians 4:11, 12)." TARGET="_blank">1 Thessalonians 4:11, 12). Radical obedience is not irresponsibility. It does not produce an irrational lifestyle. We express this radical obedience by consistent, wholehearted submission to all the claims of Christ.

D. Oliver
Other pages in this section

About this site

Do the Scriptures guide only the husband to contribute financially to the church?

Do the Scriptures guide only the husband to contribute financially at the Lord’s supper?

I Corinthians 16:2" TARGET="_blank">I Corinthians 16:2 teaches that "every one of you" ("each of you," JND) should set aside funds on the first day of the week. Although a couple’s resources are one, is she not as much a priest as her husband? Husbands are not priests who offer on behalf of their wife or family; the males offer on behalf of the assembly. Is it not a fitting testimony to the wife’s priesthood that she should offer her financial sacrifice in the assembly? Does he partake of the emblems on her behalf, or does she remember the Lord individually? Is a believing couple received into the assembly as a couple or as individuals? Sapphira did not die (Acts 5:10)" TARGET="_blank">Acts 5:10) because she was one with Ananias in marriage, but because she was one with him in tempting the Spirit of the Lord (verse 9). In an assembly, we stand before the Lord as individuals.

D. Oliver
Other pages in this section

About this site

My friend is going to get an abortion. What should I tell her?

What advice or alternatives an a Christian give an unbelieving friend who is planning an abortion?

Although it is tempting to sidestep this thorny issue, we are called to reprove the unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11)." TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 5:11). The unbelieving friend needs to face the fact that God views elective abortion as murder. This truth, however, can be spoken with love (Ephesians 4:15)" TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 4:15): "1 understand your predicament, but can't agree that abortion is the answer. As a Christian, I've learned the value of depending on the Bible's guidance in tough times like this. God regards unborn babies as real human beings (Psalm 139:13-16;" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 139:13-16; Luke 1:39-44)," TARGET="_blank">Luke 1:39-44), and so He looks at abortion just as He looks at the killing of an adult (Exodus 21:22-23)." TARGET="_blank">Exodus 21:22-23). That is why so many women struggle with guilt after an abortion their conscience agrees with God that abortion is wrong." It may help to point out that women who had abortions suffer from an increased rate of infertility, tubal pregnancy, miscarriage, and suicide.

Along with presenting God's truth, we must also make a case for the two alternatives to abortion. First is adoption. It is noble and selfless for a mother to release her child to one of literally thousands of couples waiting to adopt. On the other hand, the unbelieving friend may choose to raise the child herself if she can be assured of help. In addition to steering the mother to a suitable Christian agency, we should also consider adoption or assisting the mother ourselves.

D. Valiance

Other pages in this section

About this site

Did the earth become "without form and void" or was it made that way?

Can't Genesis 1:2" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 1:2 be translated, "And the earth became without form and void?"

The Hebrew word is properly rendered "was," not "became." The grammar of the passage proves this most persuasively. The phrase, "And the earth was without form and void," in verse 2 is a kind of subordinate clause called a circumstantial clause. It modifies verse 1, the main clause. Thus verse 1 states what God did, and verse 2 adds some further information about it - some circumstances occurring at the same time as the principal statement. We understand from this that God made the heavens and the earth in the beginning, and when He did, it happened that (1) the earth was formless and empty; (2) darkness was on the face of the deep; and (3) the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Grammatically, there can be no discontinuity between these verses. Verse 2 must be describing the earth as it was originally created, not how it became at a time following creation.

D. Valiance
Other pages in this section

About this site

Should young Christian families use TV and videos as a baby sitter?

Should young Christian families use TV and videos as a baby sitter?

With television about as common in the home as electricity and running water, suggesting that children grow up without it sounds hopelessly archaic. Nevertheless, "mine eye affecteth my heart" (Lamentations 3:51)" TARGET="_blank">Lamentations 3:51) expresses a principle. Even if parents were to effectively control the programming, the blatant materialism, violence, and suggestiveness of the advertising is detrimental. Television offers some valuable content. Its liabilities seem to outweigh its value.

While videos can likewise be harmful, they offer valuable content. With appropriate choices, parents can provide historical, scientific, geographic, and spiritual material through videos.

None of this, however, is a substitute for the value of a developing relationship between the child and his parents. Solomon remembers and values his personal relationship with both his mother and father in Proverbs 4:3." TARGET="_blank">Proverbs 4:3. To habitually fill a child’s hours with a replacement for parenting is misguided. The parental relationship is especially important for a young child; it’s the foundation for the teen years.

D. Oliver
Other pages in this section

About this site

Is the Pope the Antichrist?

Is the Pope the Antichrist?

The antichrist is a prophetic figure that the Bible predicts will become the last satanic-inspired dictator of the God-opposed worldwide government of the last days of the Great Tribulation. Some scriptural references to this coming world leader are found in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12;" TARGET="_blank">2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 6:1-2;" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 6:1-2; Revelation 13:1-18;" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 13:1-18; Daniel 7:20-27;" TARGET="_blank">Daniel 7:20-27; Daniel 8:1-27." TARGET="_blank">Daniel 8:1-27.

Many Bible scholars have tried to determine who this person may be. Since the times of the protestant revolution, the Pope has been a favorite target because of his name as the “Vicar” of Christ on earth.

The Catholic Church relies on the Pope to be the representative of Christ on earth. This “Vicar of Christ” or “Vicarious Christ” means that he takes the place of Christ. Protestants love to apply this Vicar title to the term “Anti-Christ” since “anti” is the term to mean “takes the place of”. In the sense of the meaning of the word, the Pope takes the place of Christ or becomes the “Antichrist”. This virulent language appeared in Protestant literature since the Protestant Reformation and appeared for centuries in the notes of the popular Geneva Bible published by Protestants in Geneva, Switzerland.

Being the Vicar of Christ, the Pope claims to speak “ex cathedra” or “from the chair” in regards to matters of belief or doctrine. Speaking this way, he claims to be infallible, without error.

Protestants find this teaching to be in grave error. No man is infallible. The apostles words were inspired, but since their passing, Scripture is complete. The extent that the Pope agrees with the Scriptures is the only extent that he speaks the truth. Catholics therefore believe, for example, that Mary ascended to heaven at the end of her life because November 1, 1950, the Pope declared this to be so.

Shad David Sluiter

Other pages in this section

About this site

My friend is hurting emotionally. How can I help her?

Is there scriptural guidance for giving comfort to others?

In such a critical area of need, the Scriptures must offer a wealth of help. Here, however, are a few limited suggestions.

Use your two ears. For all the criticism Job’s friends deserve, they started their mission well. They were "with him." Their seven days of silence (Job 2:13)" TARGET="_blank">Job 2:13) showed their sensitivity to the greatness of Job’s grief. They were genuine. If you are not genuine, nothing you say or do will help. Their silence offered them an opportunity they apparently missed: be sensitive to others! Your insights into the stages of grief might be valuable, but it’s more valuable to know where the grieving individual is in his unique, uncharted journey of sorrow. Questions or comments that encourage him to express his feelings are vital in giving comfort.

Use your heart. Many lessons come from the Lord’s giving comfort to Mary and Martha (John 11)," TARGET="_blank">John 11), but perhaps the greatest comfort to them before Lazarus was raised from the dead was their assurance that the Lord shared their love for their departed loved one (vv 3, 35, 36). His love for Lazarus was even greater than theirs, but that is not the case for us. Nevertheless, those who sorrow receive comfort in knowing that their loved one had a unique place in your respect and affections. Sincerely recounting an incident that typifies your appreciation of their loved one is a real comfort. Knowing that others recognize the significance of their loss is important to grieving loved ones. Knowing that others regarded their loved one’s life as significant gives comfort.

Use your head. "The heart knoweth his own bitterness" (Pro 14:10)." TARGET="_blank">Pro 14:10). We should never assume we know what another person is experiencing, even if we have gone through that exact experience. If a grieving person knows your experience and states that you know "how it feels," he has opened the door for you to help. But experience alone does not confer a "Master’s Degree in Comforting." Only to the degree a believer gets to know God in his trials (2 Cor 1:4)" TARGET="_blank">2 Cor 1:4) has he made progress in his "Master’s studies." He is not yet a "master." The degrees are conferred at the Bema.

Every trial is a trial of faith. A believer need not have the same experience to give comfort, but His faith must have responded to the Invisible (Hebrews 11:27)" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 11:27) in His own experience. To that degree, he can strengthen the faith of others (see 2 Cor 1:4)." TARGET="_blank">2 Cor 1:4). Your experience with God may not be the help every other believer needs, however.

Use your Bible. Nothing can help like the Scriptures, for we receive hope through their consolation (Rom 15:4)." TARGET="_blank">Rom 15:4). Our objective is not to help a believer - or an unbeliever - to get through his sorrow, but to be spiritually enriched through his sorrow. In trying to comfort others, one size does not fit all. We are dependent on the Spirit to use us to bring to a grieving heart the biblical truth that will meet the need. If this was true for the Lord (Isa 50:4)," TARGET="_blank">Isa 50:4), how much more is it true for us! Ask the Lord for the right words to speak from Scripture.

D. Oliver
Other pages in this section

About this site

Should I forgive my brother if he refuses to repent?

In light of Matthew 18:21-22" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 18:21-22 and Luke 17:3, 4," TARGET="_blank">Luke 17:3, 4, is a Christian bound to forgive another Christian only if he repents?

Every offended Christian ought to be willing to forgive another Christian whether or not the offender repents. God loves to forgive. Being followers of God (Ephesians 5:1)," TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 5:1), we ought to be ready to forgive, too. Psalm 86:5" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 86:5 states, "For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive."

An unforgiving spirit produces bitterness and ruins Christian life. The apostle Paul exhorted, "Let all bitterness ... be put away from you...: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:31, 32)." TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 4:31, 32).

When a believer recognizes that he has offended another, he should attempt to restore the enjoyment of fellowship with his offended brother. Sometimes, however, a Christian may not even be aware or feel - that he has offended another. In such a case, a spirit of forgiveness on the part of the Christian who has been hurt will enable him to lay aside the hurt without ever raising the matter. Love "thinketh no evil" (1 Corinthians 13:5)" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 13:5) means love keeps no record of evil; thus, Christian love will lay a matter to rest - and forget it - without raising the issue or demanding repentance (1 Peter 4:8)." TARGET="_blank">1 Peter 4:8).

J. Beattie

Other pages in this section

About this site

Main Menu