Palm Sunday: From Glory to the Cross

Today we celebrate Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. We start with joy as Jesus enters Jerusalem—“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 19:38). People wave palm branches, hoping Jesus will be the king to free them from oppression.

But the joy quickly fades. In just a few days, “Hosanna!” becomes “Crucify him!” (Luke 23:21). The same crowd that welcomed Jesus now calls for His death. Why such a dramatic change?

Jesus did not meet their expectations. He came not to conquer Rome, but to conquer sin. He rode a donkey, not a warhorse. He came to serve, not to rule. And when people realized He wasn’t the kind of king they wanted, they rejected Him.

Yet Jesus knew this would happen—and He still chose the path of the cross. As Isaiah prophesied: “I gave my back to those who strike… I have set my face like flint” (Isaiah 50:6-7). He accepted suffering out of love for us.

Saint Paul reminds us: “Though He was in the form of God… He emptied himself… becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8). Jesus’ humility and obedience are our model.

This Palm Sunday asks us: Do we follow Jesus only when things are easy, or are we faithful even when it’s hard? Will we stay with Him through the cross so we can rejoice in the resurrection?

Let us enter Holy Week with hearts ready to walk with Jesus—from the palms of victory to the wood of the cross—knowing that beyond the suffering lies the hope of Easter.

Amen.