What do palm branches have to do with Lent?
In biblical times, palms were a sign of hope. When a tired and thirsty traveler was in the desert and saw a palm tree, he was delighted because he knew he was near an oasis and that gave him hope.
The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory in pre-Christian times. The Romans rewarded champions of the games and celebrated military successes with palm branches.
In 165 BC, nearly 200 years prior to Jesus entering Jerusalem, was the last time Israel had been independent. This was when Judas Maccabeus, nick named “The Hammer,” son of a Jewish priest, had led the people in a war of independence and defeated the Syrians and became King. He adopted the palm branch as a symbol of his victory and Israeli independence.
At the time when Jesus was on earth, many Jewish people were looking for a military king to save them from the Romans. That is why they laid palm branches in Jesus’ path and shouted “Hosanna!” as he rode on the back of a donkey entering Jerusalem. But, the palm tree branches honoring Jesus were soon replaced with another tree that brought him death. That was, until the Easter resurrection.
Early Christians used the palm branch to symbolize the victory of the faithful over enemies of the soul, as in the Palm Sunday festival celebrating the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Today, we use palm branches on the Sunday before Easter, which we call Palm Sunday, to remember the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey in glory. We think about the glory we give Jesus in our lives and are reminded that the glory we offer is not enough to save him from death. Only the glory that God bestows triumphs in the end.
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