The shame of Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday begins the celebration of Holy Week, which culminates in the recognition of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I don't share your opinion that the church ought not celebrate Palm Sunday.
It would be a moot point because we don't do it anyway. Not really.

The only real celebration or recognition of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem so long ago will be themed sermons, hymns and a few palm clippings. No greeting cards, no gifts, no fireworks, no special family gathering and not even a special assembly in the fellowship hall.

Holy Week isn't celebrated either. Not at all.

Good Friday gets a little attention by those who wish to punish themselves with a six hour marathon of taped presentations and/or a series of boring sermons.
Been there and done that.
It is effective though, after sitting through about two hours of that stuff I lose the will to live.

Then comes Easter Sunday.
Who in their right mind would arise in the middle of the night to participate in a semi-pagan ritual of sunrise observance?
Wouldn't it be better to watch the sun go DOWN on friday night?
It might be easier on one's internal clock, not to mention the disposition of those who tend to be grouchy in the morning.

Well here comes the sun and a few off key (pitchy?) hymns, probably a sermon that has nothing to do with getting saved, the grace of God or REAL human resurrection... then it's off to Easter dinner or breakfast (in a crowded noisey restaurant - didn't the Bible say it was better to eat quietly?).
All this is followed by a feeding frenzy of candy and sugar in attractive sizes and colors for all present.....followed on Monday morning by medical treatment for diabetes.

Should the reader be reminded that the church no longer recognizes, preaches or writes about the hope of the resurrection (except on Easter and then only if the sermonizer can't think of anything else to say). The theology is considered by many "scholars" to be embarrasingly factitious. (It may be my hope, but it isn't theirs.)

Why worry about the death of Christ when the church isn't concerned about hell or sin any more (ie Rob Bell - cover boy on Time magazine this week - atheists love this garbage).

Yeah, baby. Palm Sunday, Good Friday & Easter. Real spiritual stuff. NOT

I'd argue your point about Palm Sunday, but why bother.
The celebration is fake and the only real recognition it gets is when my computer coughs up a date reminder.

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
James 4:4

"I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies."
Amos 5:21

I don't either for some reason.

I will be celebrating palm sunday by going on a procession around the outside of the church, holidng a a cross made out of palm leaf and there will be nothing shameful about it.

I udnerstand though, that there were people who were at one point holding palm leaves and shouting hosanna and a few days later were shouting "crucify." It makes them seem shallow but it wasn't everyone. If you want to blame someone then blame the Pharases, it was them that rejected Jesus and then went around stiring up trouble. I believe though that for the most part, the people who went to welcome Jesus when he rode into Jerusalem were genuine and were real supporters of Jesus.

For me and for many other real Bible believing Christians; be they protestant or Catholic, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy week. The week in which Jesus shared his last meal with his desciples, was betrayed, crucified, was burried and was resurrected.

Hosanna in the highestt.

bigape said:

This coming Sunday, a lot of Bible believing Churches are going to be recognizing Palm Sunday, to their own shame.

Other than being one of those made-up celebrations, concocted by the Catholic Church, Palms Sunday is also one of the last days, a real Christian would want to celebrate.

Here is the account........
John 12:12-13
V.12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
V.13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed [is] the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

But a few days later, here is what those same people were crying.....
Mark 15:11-13
V.11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
V.12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do [unto him] whom ye call the King of the Jews?
V.13 And they cried out again, Crucify him.
---------------------------------
Not only was the Church, never instructed to celebrate this event, but knowing the whole story about how shallow these cries of “Hosanna” really were, I am surprised that any Christian would want to celebrate it.

But then again, most professing Christians today never read their Bible anyway; so all they know about this event, is what their Spiritual leaders are telling them.

This is a sad time, for Christianity.
Come quickly Lord Jesus......

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Wow...from the title of this thread, I thought there was some terrifying pagan practice (with goats and everything) that some people engaged in on the day that Christians have traditionally celebrated the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem - AND now they are infiltrating the CHURCH!!

Thank goodness is was simply an overreaction to the traditional Christian observance of an actual event in Jesus's life.......

This coming Sunday, a lot of Bible believing Churches are going to be recognizing Palm Sunday, to their own shame. Other than being one of those made-up celebrations, concocted by the Catholic Church,

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Designated days, set aside by the Catholic Church to celebrate actual events in Jesus's life.....? You mean like Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, etc? The entire Christian calendar falls under your condemnation.......

What is wrong with designating a day of observance and worship to God, based on the real events of Christ's birth, life, ministry, and death and God's gift of the Holy Spirit; besides the obvious need for the ability to think abstractly?

Palms Sunday is also one of the last days, a real Christian would want to celebrate.......but knowing the whole story about how shallow these cries of “Hosanna” really were, I am surprised that any Christian would want to celebrate it.

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1. Why would a Christian not want to celebrate an actual event in the life of Jesus?
2. Since when do Christians determine the worth of a real event in the ministry of Christ, based on the reaction of the crowds of people witnessing the event? The only time I can recall that everyone present at one of these events didn't complain was when they all got free bread and fish - and based on the nature of people then and now, many were probably there simply for the food. I hope we all know that all the events in the life of Jesus are worthy of celebration and remembrance.

Not only was the Church, never instructed to celebrate this event

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You mean it was never explicitly stated in the Bible, right? Thank you for illustrating one of the many limitations of sola scriptura - a later doctrine that treats the Bible like shackles for people who are supposed to be celebrating freedom in Christ.

But then again, most professing Christians today never read their Bible anyway.

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You know, I hear this bemoaning statement so often, I cannot even count the times, anymore; but is it true? The best selling book of all times, which is more available today than every before; reading it is practically mandatory and an act of idolatry in some corners of Christianity; is actually read less today than in the 10 centuries of the Dark Ages? The Fall of Rome? The Early Church? Where do people get these crazy exaggerations from!?

The fact is, this kind of a statement actually divides Protestantism in the same way that the Reformers complained about occurring in the Catholic Church, at the time - the Catholic clergy (Catholic priests, at the time) and the Protestant clergy (the tiny-tiniest amount of Protestants who actually READ the Bible today) are the only people who understand God's Word! Makes a person wonder just how critical Luther's demand was for translating the Bible into the vernacular.....

This is a sad time for Christianity

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Compared to when? The time of Nero? The Dark Ages? The Enlightenment - when Deism and Unitarianism threatened the Protestant Church; the 19th century, perhaps? When the post-Protestant cults stormed through our nation?

Please explain.....

Templar81 said:

I will be celebrating palm sunday by going on a procession around the outside of the church, holidng a a cross made out of palm leaf and there will be nothing shameful about it.

I udnerstand though, that there were people who were at one point holding palm leaves and shouting hosanna and a few days later were shouting "crucify." It makes them seem shallow but it wasn't everyone. If you want to blame someone then blame the Pharases, it was them that rejected Jesus and then went around stiring up trouble. I believe though that for the most part, the people who went to welcome Jesus when he rode into Jerusalem were genuine and were real supporters of Jesus.

For me and for many other real Bible believing Christians; be they protestant or Catholic, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy week. The week in which Jesus shared his last meal with his desciples, was betrayed, crucified, was burried and was resurrected.

Hosanna in the highestt.

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I don't think anybody, including myself, said that there was anything shameful about celebrating Christ and worshipping Him in whatever way seems good. It is a matter of the heart and at the end of the day it will be the Lord who judges. It is possible, however, for us to peer into a man's heart after a fashion. The Bible says that the fruits of a man's life will reveal the condition of his heart to all.

I doubt that no one here is ignorant of Christmas and Easter Christians. These are they who not only neglect their responsibility to assemble on a regular basis, but are those who do not put God first in their life. Attendance is merely tradition. On those two major religious holidays the houses of God will be packed to the rafters. Most of those in attendance will not return the next Sunday. Neither will they give gifts to the fellowship in recognition of God, the needs of the bretheren or the truth of His word. For them, the celebrations will be nothing less than hypocrisy. The effort will not be blessed. Their observance will be no more important to God than if they had spent the same time in a brothel.

The flip side is the possibility that some sermonizer will utter words of inspiration and repentance to the infrequent attendees and that a miracle of God will transform the lives of some.

Possible but unlikely. I've spent far too many Easters listening to pulpit zombies groan empty words. Can the sheep follow a dead shepard?
The smell of death in our churchs has risen to heaven and God is not pleased.

Not only was the Church, never instructed to celebrate this event, but knowing the whole story about how shallow these cries of “Hosanna” really were, I am surprised that any Christian would want to celebrate it.

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The multitude in Jerusalem received Jesus with the joy and depth of sincerity of all who would receive free food, cures for illness and the hoped for freedom from Roman taxation.

In a way this is particularly fitting for the people of today. Most people today, even most in churches, are cloaked in vestigial Christianity while the real object of their faith is their government. They see social security as what will care for them in their old age, free health care for when they get sick, and unemployment and welfare for when they cannot work.

It is mystifying that most of those who profess Christ as Savior often really only trust in a government that is 14 trillion dollars in debt and obviously will never be able to fulfill the promises it has made rather than truly trust in Him who has kept every promise He has made.

When I think of Palm Sunday it makes me think of the lines from a song by Leon Patillo...

"People shouted, "Here comes the King!"
As You marched down the road to Jerusalem
There were tears in Your eyes,
The same ones who cheered, yelled, "Crucify!"

Technically, I guess we should call it "Palm Friday" since Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday and that messes up the "Holy Week" timeline somewhat.

However, all confusion would evaporate if we only follow the Hebrew feast days. Nisan started when the first crescent of the moon was observed (which then became the first day of the month) and also when the Barley was ripened to the point that it could be used in the firstfruits ceremony a few weeks later. Plants respond well to the seasons which is determined by the solar cycle, so the ripening occurred in March or April on our calendar, thus keeping the cycle together nicely.

They took a lamb into the home on Nisan 10. This foreshadowed when Christ came to Jerusalem aka "Palm Sunday".

He was crucified late on Nisan 14 to fulfill the feast of Passover, was interred at sundown (the start of the next day) to fulfill Unleavened Bread and arose the end of the Sabbath/start of Sunday to fulfill Sunday Firstfruits.

Although the celebrations of Easter is considered pagan by more enlightened Christians, eggs, bunnies and candy aside, at least the date of it is generally correct since they base it on the movable Hebrew calendar. It should simply be called Firstfruits instead. But since Passover/Unleavened Bread is tonight (April 18-19) the following Sunday is Firstfruits and notice Easter also falls on that date.

I realize this is a thread about Palm Sunday, but all the events are tied in together which is why I elaborated on all of them.

Crucified on a Wednesday!!!!!!! What!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where did you get that from?

I hear the weather the day he rose was sunny and 55 degrees with a chance of rain later in the day.


Some however have argued that at that time in the morning the temp was likely in the 40s and since it didn't say anything in the Bible about rain, it could not have rained.


Still others claim that hail greeted Jesus as he stepped out of the tomb and the hail was the real reason the guards fled.



.... See where this is going?


The important question is this: DID JESUS RISE FROM THE DEAD?


The answer of course is Yes.


I don't care if He did it Feb 29th of Leap Year. The important thing is, He did.


Tell me, for your or anyone else's personal salvation, does it matter if it was Sunday or Wednesday?

Templar81 said:

Crucified on a Wednesday!!!!!!! What!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where did you get that from?

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Let me elaborate.... I did so more on the other thread but was a little short here.

Nisan 14 Passover/crucifixion
(start of) Nisan 15 Interment (this starts the 3 days and 3 nights count down or a full 3 days). 15+3=18 which means he arose at the end /start of Nisan 17-18 just as he was buried at the end/start of Nisan 14-15. With me so far?

The bible says that when the Israelites got into the land (from the Exodus days) on their way there, they were to celebrate Firstfruits. That occurred on a specific day of the week as it was on "the morrow after the sabbath". That makes it Sunday which was the foreshadowing of the resurrection.

So, if Sunday is Nisan 18, then work back to Nisan 14, the day of the crucifixion, and by deduction we arrive at Wednesday.

Foreigner said:

I hear the weather the day he rose was sunny and 55 degrees with a chance of rain later in the day.


Some however have argued that at that time in the morning the temp was likely in the 40s and since it didn't say anything in the Bible about rain, it could not have rained.


Still others claim that hail greeted Jesus as he stepped out of the tomb and the hail was the real reason the guards fled.



.... See where this is going?


The important question is this: DID JESUS RISE FROM THE DEAD?


The answer of course is Yes.


I don't care if He did it Feb 29th of Leap Year. The important thing is, He did.


Tell me, for your or anyone else's personal salvation, does it matter if it was Sunday or Wednesday?

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For salvation, actually it does. Jesus had to fulfill the feasts at the appointed times which were prophetic of things to come otherwise he would not be qualified Messiah. A false Messiah would do the very thing you are asking i.e. "it does not matter when...."

For a reason behind what I say, see what the beast does in Daniel 7:25,

Your answer implies that Jesus could be a False Messiah.

I think we're done here.

timf said:

It is mystifying that most of those who profess Christ as Savior often really only trust in a government that is 14 trillion dollars in debt and obviously will never be able to fulfill the promises it has made rather than truly trust in Him who has kept every promise He has made.

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Well said.

The church has been derailed from its social and political responsibilities.
The church hails the arrival of Christ and then calls for His death by social and political means.
(If we do it to the least of our bretheren, we do it to Jesus.)

Either by intent to deceive on the part of it's leaders or by willingness to believe government propaganda, the church has chosen a path that leads to our national demise and spiritual death. It is Palm Sunday in reverse.

American militarism is based solidly upon the church and its pro-hawk attitudes. There is not so much as a squeak of opposition to American illegal, immoral and unjust wars abroad (three now with an additional two more in the bull pen). In fact, the church SUPPORTS it. We are sending our sons to their needless deaths and injuries.
FOR WHAT?
To advance the gospel or to advance the political and financial agenda of those who have hijacked our country?

Social responsibilities and activity are mixed. In some communities, churches participate vigorously while in others very little. Internally, not so much. For example, the Bible talks a bit in the N.T. about caring for widows and orphans.
How many churches have internal programs to take care of widows and orphans?

ZIP

Do divorced single parents also count as widows and widowers?
Some churches would rather condemn the divorcee rather than acknowledge that they have needs.
Most DO NOTHING !

Is this a welcome for Christ or condemnation? Palm Sunday or Good Friday toward one another?

So let's all sing happy songs on Sunday and then leave.......leave the building, leave those in our churchs who have needs, leave Christ in the ditch bleeding and starving.

Foreigner said:

Your answer implies that Jesus could be a False Messiah.

I think we're done here.

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Well then you are uninformed of the whole meaning of the Mosaic Law and what it foreshadowed. The bible is replete with exact times that things had to be carried out, by exact persons, arrayed in exact adornment all according to what God said to Moses. And the bible is replete with genealogies, Genesis, Ruth, Chronicles, even the book of Matthew.

I hope then you find the real Jesus and not one by the tradition of men. I get my answers from the bible and can back them up --- I do not say things like he could have arose on February 29 and not make a difference (when the Law that foreshadowed Him required the ripening of the Aviv which is never ready by February 29) and then end in a huff that Jesus could be a false Messiah. Yes, the Jesus of the world is truly a false Messiah.

What I would do is familiarize yourself with OT more and then you can put pride aside and see that the Mosaic feasts did predict Christ.

I still don't get it. All I know is that almost 1900 years of Church teaching say's Christ was crucified on a Friday and Ressurrected on Sunday morning. Using the old testaament to justify the crucifixion being on a Wednesday is a bit tenuous.

Did you know that Chrsitians did not start celebrating Easter until the 2nd century, before then they counted every Sunday as a mini-Easter.

tim_from_pa said:

Yes, the Jesus of the world is truly a false Messiah.

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-- So now we're talking about the world?

I guess a moving target really IS harder to hit.

Foreigner said:

-- So now we're talking about the world?

I guess a moving target really IS harder to hit.

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Look. I'll make it simple. You are the one that made the Israeli weather predictions and February 29 jests without backing your position up with scripture. I am backing up what I say. I know it gets tough to get caught with the pants down, but live with it. Jesus could not have just died and rise any day. It may not mean much to you, but Jesus had to fulfill time requirements on a calendar according to the Law to be qualified Messiah. This is why Jesus said "Moses wrote of me". I think that's pretty clear cut.